Recently, some have been deliberately distorting and challenging Resolution 2758 adopted at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1971, which is about restoring the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China at the UN and expelling the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the UN. They go out of their way to sell the notion that Taiwan’s status is undetermined. Such a false narrative that aims at denying the one-China principle not only challenges China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also challenges the post-War international order and threatens peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific and the wider world.

Ⅰ. Taiwan is part of China – this is an indisputable fact

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. The earliest references to this effect are to be found, among others, in Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer compiled in the year 230 by Shen Ying of the State of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period. Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan. In 1684, the Qing court set up a Taiwan prefecture administration under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province. In 1885, Taiwan’s status was upgraded and it became the 20th province of China.

In July 1894, Japan launched a war of aggression against China. In April 1895, the defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom on December 1, 1943 stated that it was the purpose of the three allies that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. The Potsdam Proclamation was signed by China, the United States and the United Kingdom on July 26, 1945, and subsequently recognized by the Soviet Union. It reiterated: “The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out.” In September of the same year, Japan signed the instrument of surrender, in which it promised that it would faithfully fulfill the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation. On October 25, the Chinese government announced that it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan, and the ceremony to accept Japan’s surrender in Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the Allied powers was held in Taibei (Taipei). From that point forward, China had recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China (1912-1949), and the Central People’s Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous KMT regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China’s sovereignty and inherent territory did not change. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China’s full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan.

Ⅱ. UNGA Resolution 2758 leaves no room for misinterpretation

At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, 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 which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it”. Resolution 2758 is a political document encapsulating the one-China principle whose legal authority leaves no room for doubt and has been acknowledged worldwide. This resolution settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues of China’s representation in the UN, and it covered the whole country, including Taiwan. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.

A small number of countries, disregarding the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and other international legal documents, have puffed up the illegal and invalid Treaty of San Francisco. This treaty contravened the provisions of the Declaration by United Nations signed by 26 countries – including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and China – in 1942, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, and the basic norms of international law. The PRC was excluded from its preparation, drafting and signing, and its rulings on the territory and sovereign rights of China – including the sovereignty over Taiwan – are therefore illegal and invalid. Certain countries have once again professed that the status of Taiwan has yet to be determined. What they are actually attempting to do is to alter Taiwan’s status as part of China and create “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” as part of a political ploy – using Taiwan to contain China. These actions violate international law, damage China’s sovereignty and dignity, trample upon the basic norms governing international relations, and attempt to mislead international understanding of the one-China principle. Theses provocative actions endorsing “Taiwan independence” are extremely dangerous, and they run counter to the trend of peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation of the Asia-Pacific region and will harm the interest of the people of the region and the common interest of the international community.

Ⅲ. The one-China principle is an important foundation of China-Belgium relations

On October 25, 1971, the Belgian government voted in favour of UNGA Resolution 2758. On the very same day, China and Belgium established diplomatic relations. In March, 2014, China and Belgium issued a joint declaration on deepening the all-round partnership of friendly cooperation, in which the Belgian side reiterated its commitment to the one-China policy and respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests. There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Against an increasingly changing, chaotic and confrontational international setting, the one-China principle has served as a most important political foundation and premise underpinning the steady development of China-Belgium relations that benefit our two peoples. We hope and believe that people in Belgium from across the sectors, who value national sovereignty and territorial integrity and aspire for regional and world peace and development, will come to realize the serious harm that “Taiwan independence” separatism poses, take the initiative to reject the absurd narrative that distort Resolution 2758 and deny the one-China principle, uphold the sound growth momentum of China-Belgium relations, help make fresh progress in China-Belgium exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas, and contribute more to peace, development and progress for all countries, regions and the world at large.