By Mr Zhang Yi, Charge d’affaires ad interim of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in the Netherlands.
Recently the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China designated October 25th as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration. This decision embodies the firm resolve of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and our unyielding commitment to achieving national reunification.
1, Historical and Legal Facts Stand Unchallenged
Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times. However in July 1894, Japan launched a war of aggression against China, and in April 1895, the defeated Qing government of China was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan.
On December 9, 1941, the Chinese government declared war against Japan’s aggression, and proclaimed that all treaties, conventions, agreements, and contracts regarding relations between China and Japan had been abrogated, and that China would recover Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. The Cairo Declaration of 1943 stated that all the territories Japan has stolen from China, such as Manchuria, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. The Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 reaffirmed that “the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out.” When Japan signed the instrument of surrender, it accepted these obligations in full.
On October 25, 1945, the ceremony to accept Japan’s surrender in Taiwan Province took place in Taipei, symbolizing the restoration of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to China’s sovereign administration.
With the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Central People’s Government became the sole legitimate authority representing all of China. Since then, the PRC has exercised full sovereignty over China, including Taiwan.
- UN Resolution 2758 Affirms the One-China Principle
On October 25, 1971, the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority including the Netherlands. The resolution restored all China’s lawful rights to the People’s Republic of China, recognized its government as the sole legitimate representative of China to the UN, and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek who had unlawfully occupied China’s seat.
It should be noted that at the time when the Resolution 2758 was discussed at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly, certain countries persisted in attempts to obstruct the process, and primarily erected a “Dual Representation” draft resolution, which combined “confirming the representation of the People’s Republic of China” with “retaining the representation of the Republic of China(Taiwan),” essentially trying to create “two Chinas” within the UN. A significant number of UN Member States voiced strong opposition, asserting the proposal was “illegal and inconsistent with reality, justice and the principles of the UN Charter.” After the General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, the “Dual Representation” draft resolution was consequently not put to the vote and was effectively invalidated.
Resolution 2758 definitively resolved China’s representation in the UN politically, legally, and procedurally, and reaffirmed the one-China principle. It also made clear that China has only one seat at the UN, leaving no space for any notion of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.”
Since then, the UN has consistently referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in official documents. Resolution 2758 stands as a milestone of justice and international consensus, reflecting the collective will of the vast majority of countries that uphold the one-China principle.
- A Broad International Consensus
In the 54 years since the adoption of Resolution 2758, the number of countries maintaining diplomatic relations with China has risen from just over 60 to 183, all committed to the one-China principle. Successive UN Secretaries-General have reaffirmed that the entire UN system must act in accordance with this resolution.
The one-China principle has become a universally recognized norm in international relations and a solemn political commitment made by all countries having diplomatic ties with China.
4，National Reunification: An unstoppable trend
Taiwan’s restoration in 1945 marked the rightful return of lost territory to the motherland. Today, reaffirming the one-China principle and preserving the fruits of the victory over fascism are essential to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and beyond. On this principle, there can be no ambiguity or compromise.
Though the civil war and foreign interference after 1945 left the two sides of the Taiwan Strait politically divided, China’s sovereignty and territory have never been split and never will be. For decades, the Chinese government has pursued peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and determination while resolutely opposing separatism and external interference. Achieving reunification represents the common aspiration of all Chinese people.
The reality of one China is unshakable and irreversible. Assertions by a few that “Taiwan’s status is undetermined” are unfounded and dangerous. They distort history and threaten stability. Any attempt to distort or reinterpret Resolution 2758 denies the outcomes of World War II, undermines the authority of the UN, and disrupts the post-war international order. Such actions run counter to history and are doomed to fail.
China’s resolve to achieve complete reunification is steadfast. History cannot be rewritten, and the future of Taiwan will and must be decided by all Chinese people together.
