Remarks by China’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Fu Cong at the Meeting on Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Taiwan's Recovery and Upholding the Authority[...]

Dear Colleagues，

Thank you for attending today's meeting. 

October 25 is an important date that is etched on the collective memory of the Chinese nation. 80 years ago, on October 25, 1945, the ceremony to accept Japan's surrender in Taiwan, province of the China war theater in World War II, took place in Taipei, whereupon Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were restored to Chinese sovereignty. It was a momentous outcome of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and that of the World Anti-Fascist War, and a rightful arrangement under the post-war international order. It is an ironclad, irrefutable proof that Taiwan is a part of China's territory. 

54 years ago, on October 25, 1971, the UN General Assembly, at its 26th session, adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, which undertook to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place where they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it. It was the fruition of the collective efforts of all peace-loving, righteous nations of the world. It was a victory of the Chinese people and all peoples around the world.

Recently, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress decided, pursuant to the Constitution, to designate in the form of law October 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration. On this triple anniversary, namely, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, the 80th anniversary of the victory of both the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration, it is my great honor to have invited all of you to this event where we are to recommit ourselves to international fairness and justice, the victorious outcomes of World War II, and the post-war international order. In this context, I wish to highlight the following points.

First, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is an unshakable fact of history and law. 

Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times, as clearly documented in various historical records. Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation stated in clear terms that all the territories Japan has stolen from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. In September 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender, in which it promised to faithfully fulfill the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation. In October of the same year, the Chinese government announced that it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan. Those documents with international legal effects are ample proof of both de jure and de facto restoration of Taiwan to China. In 1949, the Chinese people overthrew the government of the Republic of China, and the country took a new name, the People's Republic of China. That marked the replacement of the old regime by a new government within a country, while China as a subject of international law did not change, nor did China's sovereignty and territory. As a result, the PRC government is, as a matter of course, fully entitled to the sovereignty over the entire Chinese territory, including Taiwan. 

Recently, some forces, including the American Institute in Taiwan, resurrected the "theory of the undetermined status of Taiwan". Piggybacking on that fallacy, the Taiwan authorities shrilled that "neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other", even invoking the so-called Treaty of San Francisco and the so-called Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan. The fact is, the so-called Treaty of San Francisco was an unlawful and invalid document issued by the US while excluding China and the Soviet Union, with a view to a separate peace deal with Japan. The so-called Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan is even easier to refute, for the simple fact that one of the parties that signed the treaty was the Chiang Kai-shek regime, who not long ago lost the legitimacy to represent China, and the other party was Japan, which had no prerogative whatsoever to deal with matters of territorial or sovereignty nature concerning Taiwan. History is not to be tampered with. To claim that the status of Taiwan is undetermined flies in the face of historical truth, has no basis in law, and is nothing more than yet another polished lie engineered by a handful of forces. 

Second, GA Resolution 2758 established the one-China principle, which is a basic norm governing international relations and an international consensus that defy any challenge.

By adopting the Resolution, the General Assembly, at its 26th session, restored the PRC's lawful seat at the UN, a move of great far-reaching significance to both China and the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank most sincerely all the sponsors and supporters of the said resolution, including those represented by all of you here today. 

Resolution 2758 manifests the solemn international commitment to the one-China principle with unmistakable clarity. The Resolution affirms that there is only one China in the world and that one China is none other than the People's Republic of China, that Taiwan is part of China and not a sovereign state and therefore has no sovereign right to send representatives to the UN, and that the PRC represents the whole of China and there is no such thing as two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. On the day of voting on Resolution 2758, even Chiang Kai-shek's own representative indicated when taking the floor their unreserved acceptance of the fact that Taiwan is a territory of China. The Resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority, thus invalidating the dual-representation draft resolution tabled by the US for the purpose of creating one China, one Taiwan. A handful of people made some noises about the absence of the words "Republic of China" or "Taiwan" in the Resolution, and falsely argued that "the Resolution has nothing to do with Taiwan". How ignorant! The very process of tabling and adopting the Resolution bore eloquent testimony to the fact that the one-China principle symbolizes international righteousness and the will of the international community, and fully attested to the overwhelming international commitment to the one-China principle. 

This Resolution makes it clear that the one-China principle is part and parcel of the post-war international order and vital to the authority of the UN. The Resolution, in its preamble paragraphs, states "recalling the principles of the Charter of the United Nations", "the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China is essential both for the protection of the Charter and for the cause that the United Nations must serve under the Charter." In the 54 years since the adoption of the Resolution, the number of countries with diplomatic relations with China has increased from just over 60 to 183, all of which with a firm commitment to the one-China principle. Successive UN Secretaries-General have made it clear that the entire UN system shall act as mandated in compliance with the one-China principle and GA Resolution 2758. Any attempt to misrepresent or misinterpret Resolution 2758 is tantamount to challenging the post-war international order and the UN's authority and reversing the course of history. It is doomed to be rejected by all peoples of the world.

The Resolution establishes the principle that any participation of the Taiwan region of China in an international organization must be subject to strict adherence to the one-China principle. Following the adoption of the Resolution, all official UN documents refer to Taiwan as province of China. It is clearly stated in the official legal opinion of the UN Office of Legal Affairs that Taiwan, as a province of China, has no separate status, and that Taiwan authorities are not considered to enjoy any form of government status. Therefore, Taiwan has no ground, no justification, and no right to join the UN or any other international organization whose membership only includes sovereign states. To accommodate the needs of our compatriots in Taiwan, the Chinese central government has made proper arrangements for Taiwan's participation in the relevant activities of international organizations in technical areas. A small minority of countries have tried to misrepresent or challenge Resolution 2758 to maneuver Taiwan into international organization as "entity". Their real purpose is to help Taiwan find a way in and expand its so-called international space, to obscure and hollow out the one-China principle by skirting the line. This is wrong and is doomed to fail, as international commitment to the one-China principle is now a reality that is unshakably solid and stable. 

Third, China's complete reunification is bound to happen. This is an irreversible trajectory of history. 

Shortly after the restoration of Taiwan to Chinese sovereignty, the continuation of China's Civil War and the interference by external forces landed the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a unique state of protracted political confrontation. In spite of that, China's sovereignty and territory have never been and shall never be divided, and the status of Taiwan as a part of China's territory has never changed and shall never be allowed to change. For decades, resolving the Taiwan question and achieving the complete reunification of our motherland has been a historical mission tenaciously pursued by the Chinese government, in unwavering defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity and categorical rejection of separatist attempts to divide the country and interference by external forces. 

For some time now, politically motivated to contain China by exploiting the Taiwan question, a handful of external forces have been colluding with the Taiwan authorities to misrepresent and challenge Resolution 2758, conniving at and supporting the separatist activities aimed at so-called Taiwan independence, heightening the cross-straits tensions, and undermining world peace and stability. Such acts that go against the tide of history are reprehensible, destined to be universally resisted and opposed by the international community, and doomed to be crushed in the face of the unyielding resolve, firm will, and strong capabilities of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Dear Colleagues, 

There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. This is central to the one-China principle, and integral to the efforts to defend the victorious outcomes of World War II and the authority of the UN. On this vital issue, there is no room for ambiguity. China calls on all countries of the world to steadfastly adhere to the one-China principle, oppose the so-called Taiwan independence in all its forms and disguises, and support the Chinese government's quest for national reunification. I am convinced that the Taiwan question will be settled in the course of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, contributing to a magnificent chapter of world history that reaffirms that what is just and righteous shall prevail. 

I thank you.