China marks 60th anniversary of Cairo Declaration

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 02, 2003

China marks 60th anniversary of Cairo Declaration

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China on Monday marked the 60th anniversary of the Cairo Declaration, a historic document issued by the heads of China, the United States and Britain during World War II that establishes the legal basis for Taiwan as part of China.

A high-ranking official in charge of Taiwan affairs and 20 experts specializing in Taiwan affairs gathered at a rally to mark the event. The rally was sponsored by the Research Center of Cross-Straits Relations in cooperation with the Institute of World History and Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

The Cairo Declaration was issued on Dec. 1, 1943 by the heads of the three allied countries during the war, including US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Experts described the declaration as the first document of international law in nature that reaffirms the status of Taiwan aspart of China's territory, which declares the invalidity of Japan's occupation of Taiwan, and demands Japan return Taiwan to China after the war.

Wang Zaixi, vice-director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told the rally that the legal status and virtue hasbeen recognized by all countries in the world, including major Western countries.

The Potsdam Proclamation issued on July 26, 1945 by the heads of China, the United States and Britain stipulates that the Cairo Declaration must be implemented, and Japan's capitulation in 1945 also declared Japan would shoulder its obligation to carry out allthe duties stipulated by the Potsdam Proclamation, Wang recalled.

China took over Taiwan and Penghu Islands and resumed exercising sovereignty over Taiwan on Oct. 25, 1945, and the legalstatus of Taiwan as an inseparable part of China has been fully restored since then, the vice-director said.

The official said certain people in Taiwan who have been attempting to dismiss the leal status and virtue of the declaration disregard the basic facts and international laws in their bid to preach pro-independence views.

The official said the Chinese government would in no way permitany people to split Taiwan from China.

Other experts, including Yu Pei, president of the Institute of World History under CASS, and Yu Keli, president of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the academy, also agreed that Taiwan is part of China from the points of both international and domestic laws.

They said pro-independence forces in Taiwan defy the Cairo Declaration and other international laws and have been attempting to split China through a referendum on reunification and independence and writing a new law during the current time of election, which is an insult to the international laws and severe provocation of all the Chinese people.

The pro-independence moves pose a grave challenge to the interests of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, the experts said.

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