Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory
From a historical perspective, the earliest traces of Taiwan date back to the Three Kingdoms period in 230 CE. Since 1335, China's imperial central governments have all established administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan. In 1684, a Taiwan prefectural administration was established by the Qing government. In 1885, Taiwan's status was upgraded and it became the 20th province of China. In 1895, Japan forced the Qing government to cede Taiwan after Japan's war of aggression against China.
In 1943, the Cairo Declaration clearly stated that all territories that Japan had stolen from China, including Taiwan, must be returned. The Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 reiterated that “the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be applied.” On October 25, 1945, the Chinese government announced that it was resuming sovereignty over Taiwan and that China had regained Taiwan de jure and de facto. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded, replacing the Republic of China, and the central people's government became the sole legal government of all of China.
Due to the civil war in China and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have fallen into a protracted political confrontation between states. But China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided and never will be, and Taiwan's status as part of Chinese territory has never changed and can never change.
One China principle
At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which pledged “to restore all rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the sole representatives legitimate rights of China before the United Nations. , and to immediately expel the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place they illegally occupy in the UN and in all organizations linked to it.
The United Nations system has always followed General Assembly Resolution 2758 and upheld the one-China principle in handling Taiwan-related issues. The one-China principle has also become a mainstream international consensus and a fundamental norm in international relations, constituting an inherent component of the post-war international order. One hundred and eighty-three countries, including Israel, have established diplomatic relations with China based on the one-China principle.
The Sino-Israeli joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations clearly states that “the government of the State of Israel recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legal government representing all of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the whole of China.” the territory of the People's Republic of China. This fully demonstrates that the one-China principle is the point where world opinion evolves and the arc of history bends.
Origins of tensions in the Taiwan Strait
The essence of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is a major question of principle, whether national sovereignty and territorial integrity should be safeguarded and whether the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of international law should be respected. .
At present, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan adhere to the separatist position of “Taiwan independence” and constantly engage in provocations in pursuit of “independence” in collusion with external forces, which leads to tensions in relations between the two sides, endangering relations between the two sides of the strait. peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reducing the space for peaceful reunification across the Strait.
Still lost in illusions of hegemony and trapped in a Cold War mentality, external forces, such as the United States, insist on perceiving and presenting China as a major strategic adversary and a serious long-term threat. They are doing everything possible to weaken and pressure China, exploiting Taiwan as a convenient tool, which is the fundamental reason for the continued tension in the Taiwan Strait.
The Taiwan issue is an issue that must be resolved by the Chinese. The Chinese government is firmly opposed to any interference by external forces. We will work with utmost sincerity and make every effort to achieve peaceful reunification, but we will never accept interference in China's internal affairs from anyone or any force under covered in peace. Any attempt to interfere in the Taiwan issue, under any pretext, is doomed to failure.
Resolution of the Taiwan question
Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of China is a common aspiration of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. This is indispensable to realizing China's rejuvenation. In order to fully take into account the realities of Taiwan and safeguard the interests and well-being of our compatriots, the Chinese government introduced the creative and well-designed concept of “One Country, Two Systems” and adopted “Reunification peace and unity. Countries, Two Systems” as basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question.
It is based on three guidelines. First, we will continue to work for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and all possible efforts, without promising to renounce the use of force.
Second, we advocate cross-Strait consultations and negotiations according to the one-China principle and in accordance with the 1992 Consensus reflecting the one-China principle.
Third, we will actively explore a “two-systems” solution to the Taiwan issue according to the one-China principle, thereby enriching the practice of peaceful reunification.
We face each other directly across a strip of water, but we are still far apart. The fact that we are not yet reunified is a scar left by history on the Chinese nation.
As President Xi Jinping noted, the Taiwan issue arose from our nation's weakness and chaos, and it will be resolved when national rejuvenation becomes a reality. The Chinese government will continue to promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations through concrete actions, resolutely breaking attempts at “Taiwan independence” and external interference, and uniting Taiwan compatriots. to seek national reunification together.
We hope that the international community, including Israel, will be vigilant and resist the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces attempting to disrupt the situation in the Taiwan Strait and create division and confrontation, to uphold the principle of one China, to manage Taiwan. appropriately on related issues, and understand and support the just cause of the Chinese people who oppose secession for “Taiwan independence” and strive for national reunification.
The writer is Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the State of Israel.
