Washington ignores history, insists on playing 'Taiwan card' for its own hegemony

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, a matter that must be resolved by the Chinese, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, 2022. This is not only a well-documented historical fact but also a legally sound and justifiable proposition. However, a small group of forces in the international community have been meddling in the Taiwan question for many years, and Western countries, especially the US, have disregarded the facts of the Taiwan question and distorted China's policy toward the Taiwan region, attempting to support "Taiwan independence," which seriously violates the basic norms of international relations.

Resolving the Taiwan question and achieving complete national reunification is the common aspiration of all Chinese people and a necessary requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The one-China principle is clear and unambiguous. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan region both belong to one China, which is not only a historical fact but also has a solid legal basis and deep cultural roots.

A large number of historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in earlier periods. The earliest references to this effect are to be found, among others, in Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer compiled in the year 230 by Shen Ying of the State of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period.

Taiwan island was colonized by invaders in history, but then returned to China. The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the US and the UK on December 1, 1943 stated that it was the purpose 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 US and the UK on July 26, 1945, and subsequently recognized by the Soviet Union. It reiterated: "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." On October 25 the Chinese government announced that it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, 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.

Currently, the US and a few Western countries deliberately distort the facts and fabricate "Taiwan independence" topics, fundamentally driven by their own interests and biases, attempting to intensify the confrontation and tension in the Taiwan Straits, undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. If allowed to continue, it will inevitably lead to a continuous escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Straits and cause subversive damage to China-US relations.

The US ignores China's 2000-year history of ties with the Taiwan island and its 800-year history of administrative jurisdiction over Taiwan region, deliberately tracing back to only the Dutch colonial period, in order to deny the historical fact that Taiwan region has always belonged to China. It wants to make the Taiwan island an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" for the US. Moreover, Taiwan's semiconductor industry is an important link in the global supply chain and a crucial guarantee for the security of the US supply chain and key military components. The strategic position of Taiwan region makes the US always try to control the island. The Taiwan question is essentially China's internal affair and a legacy of the Chinese civil war from 1945 to 1949. But the question is portrayed by the US as a major power conflict issue related to maintaining the US hegemonic order. The US strategy of containing China with the Taiwan question, maintaining the order in the Indo-Pacific, and strengthening military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region is fundamentally aimed at maintaining its own hegemony.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have repeatedly relied on the US to seek independence, attempting to create "two Chinas." Moreover, they spare no effort to engage in international activities, lobbying and buying off Western politicians, especially by deeply cultivating grassroots levels in American and Western societies. This starts with low-level legislators and politicians, and cooperating extensively with universities, think tanks, and media organizations, greatly influencing public opinion.

The White Paper, The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era, clarifies the facts, reasons and legal basis that Taiwan region belongs to China. It must be emphasized that resolving the Taiwan question is fundamentally consistent with safeguarding the democratic rights and human rights of Taiwan compatriots. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese. Any foreign interference cannot be tolerated. Chinese government and people will never agree with anyone who tries to make an issue out of the one-China principle. Any hope over China will compromise or make concessions on the Taiwan question is simply wishful thinking, and those that have such hopes will only shoot themselves in the foot.

Zhi Zhenfeng is a research fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zheng Kaixin is a postgraduate student at the Law School of the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.