Separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' pose the most serious threat to post-war international order: Defense Spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept. 25 --"Separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' pose the most serious threat to the post-war international order and the greatest damage to peace in the region," said Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.

The American Institute in Taiwan claimed that documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation "did not determine Taiwan's ultimate political status", and a U.S. State Department spokesperson echoed this comment. In addition, the head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council peddled the narrative of the so-called mainland's forcible takeover of Taiwan during his visit to the U.S..

When being asked to share comment on this, the spokesperson first pointed out that the false remarks of the U.S. side misrepresent the fact and mislead the public and China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this. The restoration of Taiwan to China is an integral part of the outcomes of WWII victory and the post-war international order. The 1943 Cairo Declaration clearly stipulates that all the territories stolen by Japanfrom China, such as Taiwan, shall be restored to China. The Potsdam Proclamation issued in 1945 reiterates that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out. In the same year, Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, pledging to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Proclamation in good faith. These instruments with legal effect under international law have all clearly affirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan.

The spokesperson then emphasized that as a signatory to the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the U.S. is fully aware of the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is a part of China. Yet, it blatantly rehashes the false narrative that "Taiwan's status is undetermined", and smears China's legitimate actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, in order to mislead international public opinion. Such acts gravely violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and send a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence".

"Separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' pose the most serious threat to the post-war international order and the greatest damage to peace in the region," said the spokesperson, adding that "we urge the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, stop manipulating the Taiwan question, and stop aiding and abetting 'Taiwan independence' in any form."

"We warn the DPP authorities that 'Taiwan independence' leads nowhere and reunification is unstoppable. We will never allow any separatist schemes to succeed, and are ready to thwart any external interference at any time and to safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity," stressed the spokesperson.