China has rejected Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s assertion that Taiwan is a sovereign independent nation, insisting that the island remains an “inalienable part” of Chinese territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated the position on Tuesday during a regular press briefing in Beijing while responding to comments attributed to Lai regarding United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758.
Lai had reportedly argued that the 1971 UN resolution only addressed China’s representation at the United Nations and did not determine Taiwan’s political status.
Mao dismissed the argument, stating that China’s position on Taiwan was supported by historical documents and international legal instruments, including the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation.
“There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. This is an unshakable fact grounded in both history and law,” Mao stated.
She said the Cairo Declaration, issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom during World War II, established that territories taken by Japan, including Taiwan, would be restored to China.
According to Mao, the Potsdam Proclamation later reaffirmed the implementation of the Cairo Declaration’s terms.
“This series of instruments with legal effect under international law has all clearly affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” she stated.
The Chinese government also referenced UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, arguing that the resolution recognised the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China at the United Nations.
Mao stated that the resolution settled the issue of China’s representation, including Taiwan, within the UN system.
“From political, legal and procedural aspects, the resolution resolved once and for all the question of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN,” she stated.
“It made clear that there is only one seat of China in the United Nations, and there is no such thing as ‘two Chinas’ or ‘one China, one Taiwan.’”
Mao further rejected any possibility of Taiwan becoming an independent country, accusing the Lai administration of pursuing what Beijing described as a separatist agenda.
“Taiwan has never been a country and will never be a country,” she stated.
“The Lai Ching-te authorities’ deliberate distortion of UNGA Resolution 2758 once again revealed their separatist nature for ‘Taiwan independence’,” Mao added.
She maintained that statements from Taiwanese authorities would not alter Beijing’s position on the island’s status.
“Their rhetoric will not change the historical and legal fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, nor will it undermine the international community’s steadfast commitment to one China,” she stated.
The Taiwan issue remains one of the most sensitive areas of China’s foreign policy, with Beijing opposing any move towards formal independence while Taiwan maintains its separate democratic administration.
During the briefing, Mao also addressed China’s relations with Japan, Qatar and Nepal, as well as Beijing’s efforts to expand artificial intelligence training opportunities in developing countries.
On Japan, Mao criticised comments concerning historical issues linked to World War II, stating that Tokyo should properly address its wartime history.
“To view and treat history correctly is a key gauge of Japan’s commitment to peaceful development,” she stated.
On Qatar, Mao described the country as a strategic partner and said Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani would strengthen bilateral cooperation.
She also announced China’s continued implementation of an artificial intelligence capacity-building programme aimed at providing 5,000 training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over five years.
