China issued a check message to Taiwan on its National Day, the anniversary of its founding, or National Day (Oct. 1). It drew a clear line by saying, "There is no possibility that Taiwan will be recognized as an independent state in the past, present, or future," reaffirming the "one China" principle. Taiwan designates "Double Tenth Day (双十节·Oct. 10)" as its founding day, and the move is seen as intended to curb Taiwan's push to emphasize its national identity ahead of that day while also warning against the U.S. "undetermined status of Taiwan" theory.
According to state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 1st, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a "position paper on United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 2758" released the previous day that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the UN resolution clearly defines this," adding that it cannot tolerate any challenge to the legitimacy and authority of the resolution.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the "one China" that China emphasizes has three meanings: ▲ there is only one China in the world ▲ Taiwan is part of Chinese territory ▲ the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China.
China cites UN Resolution 2758 as the basis. The resolution, adopted on Oct. 25, 1971, shifted the UN's representation of China from the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the government of the People's Republic of China. It restores all the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China, recognizes it as the sole legitimate representative of China, and deprives the Republic of China of its seat in the UN and its affiliated agencies.
When the UN was founded in 1945, the Republic of China joined as a member, but after the Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War on Oct. 1, 1949, and established the People's Republic of China, questions of legitimacy arose. Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang government, defeated in the civil war and retreating to Taiwan, continued to claim their representation, and until the adoption of the 1971 resolution, they held the UN seat and the permanent seat on the Security Council. As the global situation changed, the UN and the international community sided with the People's Republic of China. The resolution ultimately received 76 votes in favor, 35 against, and 17 abstentions.
However, Taiwan and some Western countries argue that the resolution did not directly define Taiwan's status and are calling for space for Taiwan to participate in international organizations. Ahead of the 80th UN General Assembly recently, some members of the U.S. Congress issued a statement saying that China has long distorted the content of Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan and argued that Taiwan should be allowed to participate in the UN and its affiliated agencies.
But the majority of UN member states take the position that Taiwan is part of China. Our government's position is also, "We respect 'one China.'" The Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized, saying, "Most countries have recognized that Taiwan is part of China," and "some countries, including the United States, are trampling on the basic principles of international relations by invoking the 'undetermined status of Taiwan' theory to open international space for Taiwan."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Guo Yakun warned at a briefing on the 29th of last month, saying, "The only designation for Taiwan in official UN documents is 'Taiwan Province of China (中国台湾省),'" and "interference in China's internal affairs will ultimately end in complete failure."
President Xi Jinping also said at a National Day reception held in Beijing the previous day, "We will firmly implement the policy of 'one country, two systems' and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall national development," adding, "We will also deepen cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, firmly oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and interference by external forces, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."