Commentary: Colluding with U.S. for "Taiwan independence" won't stop China's reunification process

BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The meeting between the leader of China's Taiwan region Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is another provocative move from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority to further collude with the United States and "cling to U.S. support to seek independence."

Expressing strong condemnation of the provocative move, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee vowed stringent actions to punish separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence," and said China will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China has repeatedly lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side over Tsai Ing-wen's "transit" trip to the United States. The so-called "transit" is in fact an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate "Taiwan independence."

There is but one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable. Any attempt to distort these facts and dispute or deny the one-China principle is doomed to fail.

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. In 1885, Taiwan officially became a province of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In addition, new archaeological discoveries and research findings regularly attest to the profound historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. A large number of historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in earlier periods. Successive Chinese governments have established administrative organs in Taiwan to exercise jurisdiction.

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 Dec. 1, 1943 stated that it was the goal 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." On Oct. 25, 1945, 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 Taipei. From that point forward, China recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.

On Oct. 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. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China's full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan.

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." 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."

Though the reunification of both sides of the Taiwan Strait has not yet been realized, the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China has never changed. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. To date, 182 countries including the United States have established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China on the basis of the one-China principle.

However, over a period of time, some forces in the United States, who are still lost in delusions of hegemony and trapped in a Cold War mindset, are using Taiwan as a pawn to undermine China's development and progress, and obstruct the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. They are clouding the one-China principle in uncertainty and compromising its integrity. They are contriving official interactions with Taiwan, increasing arms sales, and colluding in the military provocation. To help Taiwan expand its "international space," they are inducing other countries to interfere in Taiwan affairs, and concocting Taiwan-related bills that infringe upon the sovereignty of China in order to embolden these forces and create obstacles to China's peaceful reunification.

The anti-China forces who play the "Taiwan card" in the United States have got the uttermost cooperation from Tsai Ing-wen and the Taiwan DPP authority. Since 2016, Tsai Ing-wen and the Taiwan DPP authority have stubbornly adhered to the secessionist position of "Taiwan independence" for their own selfish gains, willingly acted as a pawn for the anti-China forces of the United States to contain China, curried favor with the U.S. side, and recklessly provoked the situation by advocating for "Taiwan independence."

Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP authority have continuously expanded the so-called "military expenditure" by purchasing U.S. weapons with money from tax-paying residents in Taiwan, obediently followed what the United States said, and invited U.S. politicians to visit Taiwan.

These actions demonstrate the DPP's stance on "Taiwan independence" and are increasingly pushing Taiwan towards a dangerous precipice. Their "ugly posture" to curry favor with the United States aroused strong dissatisfaction among people in Taiwan, and sparked protests against "Taiwan independence" and external interference.

A growing number of Taiwan compatriots have come to realize that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end and outsiders cannot be trusted. For the United States, Taiwan is simply a "pawn" to contain China's development, and blindly relying on the United States is detrimental to the well-being of people in Taiwan.

"Seeking independence by relying on foreign countries" will lead nowhere, and "using Taiwan as a pawn to contain China is doomed to failure. Taiwan belongs to all the Chinese people, including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots. The resolve of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation is unshakable and their will is as firm as a rock. This is the fundamental force for defeating any secessionist attempts for "Taiwan independence."

China's development and progress are key factors determining the course of cross-Strait relations and the realization of complete national reunification. In particular, the great achievements over four decades of reform, opening up and modernization have had a profound impact on the historical process of resolving the Taiwan question and realizing complete national reunification. No matter which political party or group is in power in Taiwan, it cannot alter the course of progress in cross-Strait relations or the trend toward national reunification.

Peace, development, exchange and cooperation are the general expectations of Taiwan compatriots, and creating a better life is the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Achieving national reunification on the basis of the one-China principle is the general trend of history and the right path forward.

We believe that our Taiwan compatriots will stand on the right side of history, be proud of their Chinese identity, understand the general trend, distinguish right from wrong, firmly oppose secession for "Taiwan independence" and foreign interference, and work together to promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and safeguard the interests of the Chinese nation.