On October 23, Ambassador Yang Xiaokun published a signed article titled “The Status of Taiwan As a province of China Has Been Historically and Legally Determined Once and for All” on the Post and Lesotho Times. Here's the full text.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan to China. This Saturday, October 25, marks the 54th anniversary of the adoption of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, which once again determines Taiwan as a province of China. The status of Taiwan has been historically and legally determined.

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history. Archeological discoveries and research findings regularly attest to the profound historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Numerous historical records document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people since very early days. 

The earliest recorded reference to the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people is in the Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer of year 230 . The central governments of China set up administrative bodies in 1087 to exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan. Dutch colonialists invaded and occupied the southern part of Taiwan in 1624 and Taiwan was called “Formosa” by the Dutch colonialists. They only occupied a small part of Taiwan for 38 years. Chinese General Zheng Chenggong expelled Dutch colonialists from Taiwan in 1662. Japanese launched an aggression war against China in 1894 and defeated the then Qing government of China. Taiwan was ceded to Japan as a result of the war. The secession is temporary and the separation of Taiwan from the mainland lasted 50 years until 1945.

1945 marked the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. That means Taiwan’s return to China forms a vital part of the outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order. A host of documents provide strong and sound international legal effect, basis and source. 

The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom 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 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.” In September of the same year, Japan signed the instrument of unconditional surrender, in which it promised that it would faithfully fulfill the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation. On October 25 the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan.

At its 26th session in October 1971, the U.N. 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 U.N., and it covered the whole country, including Taiwan. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the U.N., so there is no such thing as “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”. 

UNGA Resolution 2758 carries extensive and authoritative legal force and serves as the authoritative basis for the U.N. and organizations related to it to properly handle the Taiwan question. The Resolution has thus defined Taiwan’s position in international law and practice: Taiwan, as part of China, does not have any independent status in the UN system. The United Nations considers Taiwan as a province of China and the Taiwan authorities do not enjoy any form of governmental status. After the adoption of the Resolution, all official U.N. documents referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China.” It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the U.N. Secretariat that “the United Nations considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate status” and the “‘authorities’ in ‘Taipei’ are not considered to enjoy any form of government status.” This has been the consistent position of the U.N. and is clearly documented.

A handful of external forces have groundlessly asserted that as the terms "Republic of China" and "Taiwan" did not appear in Resolution 2758, the Resolution has nothing to do with Taiwan. The fact is that UNGA Resolution 2758 completely precluded any possibility of creating “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.” The U.N. is an international organization of sovereign states, and accepts only representatives from such states. Since Taiwan is part of China, not a sovereign state, it therefore has no right to send representatives to the U.N. Although in 1949, the Kuomintang ruling clique continued to use “Republic of China” and “government of the Republic of China” after retreating to Taiwan, however, the so-called “Republic of China” and “government of the Republic of China” in 1949 were fundamentally different from the “Republic of China” and “government of the Republic of China” in 1945 when the U.N. Charter was signed. It had no authority to exercise state sovereignty on behalf of China and had no right to continue representing China in the U.N. Therefore, the term “representative of the government of the Republic of China” must not be used in UNGA Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971, and the phrase “expelling the representatives of the Taiwan authorities” must not be used either.

History cannot be distorted, and international law cannot be denied. To date, 183 countries have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle, including Lesotho. Lesotho has issued statements many times, reaffirmed its firm support for the one-China principle and for China’s efforts to achieve national reunification. This constitutes the political foundation for our bilateral relations. We appreciate the consistent position of Lesotho on supporting the one-China principle. On this basis, We are willing to continue working hand in hand with Lesotho to deepen the China-Lesotho strategic partnership as well as building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.