By Eleni Vasiliki Bampaliouta
The situation between China and Taiwan remains explosive. Last January, the advocate of Taiwanese independence, Lai Ching-te, won the presidential election. He celebrated his victory by making clear points against Beijing, which he presented as “authoritarian” and accused of “attempting to influence the election result”. On May 20, he officially assumed his duties. The Chinese embassy in Athens, in a press release issued to the media, criticized his political stance on “Taiwan Independence” and his party representing the separatist forces. The embassy emphasized that the inauguration of Lai Ching-te would have a negative impact on the “One China” Policy and the stability of the Taiwan Strait. The embassy’s announcement stated the following:
“China and Greece respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We understand and support each other on issues of our core interests and major concerns, which are the foundation for the continued development of bilateral relations. The Greek government recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China, recognizes that Taiwan is part of China, and adheres to the one-China principle. China recognizes Greece’s constructive role in maintaining stability, security, and prosperity in Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. Such statements have been recorded repeatedly in bilateral documents. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. The return of Taiwan to China is an important part of the international order established after World War II, which has a firm basis in international law. Many important documents, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration, clearly affirm that Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to China.
At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758. This resolution clarified that China has a single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”, which once again reiterated the principle of one China.
The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community and is consistent with the basic rules of international relations. At present, 183 countries, including Greece, have established diplomatic relations with the PRC based on the one-China principle. The actual status quo of the Taiwan issue is that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the same China and Taiwan has never been an independent country.
Although the two sides have not yet been reunited, China’s sovereignty and territory have never been cut off, and the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China has never changed. The Chinese government’s position of supporting the one-China principle and opposing the separatism of “Taiwan independence”, “two Chinas”, and “one China, one Taiwan” will not change. The prevailing consensus of the international community to uphold the one-China principle and the long-standing adherence to this principle will not change.
Recently, some have claimed that “the use of force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits is unacceptable.” This claim confuses cause and effect. The root cause of the tensions in the Taiwan Straits lies in the separatist position of the Taiwan DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities and the joint challenge by the authorities of the DPP and some countries.
The DPP authorities refuse to recognize the one-China principle, constantly push for “defibrillation” and promote “incremental independence”. They are deceiving the Taiwanese people, inciting hostility against the mainland, and hindering and undermining cross-strait exchanges, cooperation, and comprehensive development. They are joining with outside forces in trying to sow the seeds of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”. The elections of the regional leader and legislature of the Taiwan region held in January this year showed that the DPP does not represent the mainstream public opinion (the DPP won about 40% of the votes). The so-called “the use of force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits is unacceptable” is actually a reward for “Taiwan independence” under the guise of “anti-war” and angers “peaceful separatism” under the guise of peace”.
If one really wants to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, then one should firmly support the one-China principle and oppose “Taiwan independence”. US authorities have said they remain committed to the one-China principle and do not support “Taiwan independence”. Since the adoption of the resolution, the one-China principle has been upheld by the UN and its specialized agencies on the Taiwan issue. Taiwan is referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” in all official UN documents. It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat that “the United Nations regards ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China without separate status” and the “authorities” in “Taipei” are not considered to enjoy any form of governmental capacity.
The participation of the Taiwan region in the activities of international organizations must and can only be handled according to the one-China principle. The United Nations is an intergovernmental international organization composed of sovereign states. Taiwan, a province of China, has no basis, reason, or right to join the UN or its relevant agencies. This is set out in the UN Charter and is the principle that all UN member states must follow and an obligation that they must fulfill.
As an important country and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US is supposed to take the lead in upholding UN General Assembly resolutions and upholding international law and basic rules in international relations, but it is doing just the opposite. The US deliberately distorted UNGA Resolution 2758 and propagated the narrative of so-called “Taiwan’s substantive participation in the UN system”.
