Yang Tao, Director-General of the Department of North America and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, clarified China's position on UN General Assembly Resolution 2758
On the evening of May 10, 2024, Yang Tao, Director-General of the Department of North America and Oceania of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a briefing to clarify China's position on UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.
Yang Tao said: For some time now, the United States has deliberately distorted and challenged Resolution 2758 adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971 on restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN and expelling the Chiang Kai-shek clique, hyping up the so-called "theory that Taiwan's status is undecided" and advocating support for Taiwan's participation in UN meetings and activities. Recently, Lan Moke and other US State Department officials falsely claimed that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 "does not recognize, is not equal to, or does not reflect the consensus on the one-China principle, has nothing to do with the sovereignty choices of various countries in relations with Taiwan, does not rule out Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other multilateral forums, and does not constitute the position of the United Nations system on the issue of Taiwan's final political status." The United States also claims that the one-China policy of the United States is different from China's one-China principle. This is an attempt to systematize and systematize the false narrative of the United States, mislead international public opinion, and challenge the international consensus on one China. We believe that it is necessary to comprehensively and systematically clarify the ins and outs of General Assembly resolution 2758 and its merits. The lies of the United States are repeated a thousand times, and they cannot be turned into facts.
First, the one-China principle is clear, that is, there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly fully reflects and solemnly affirms the one-China principle. Taiwan has been a part of China since ancient times, and this is a historical fact and an international consensus. The Cairo Declaration of 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 clearly stipulate the return of Taiwan, a Chinese territory stolen by Japan, to China. After the establishment of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China in 1949, it replaced the government of the Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. This is a change of regime in the absence of any change in China, the subject of international law, in which China's sovereignty and inherent territorial boundaries have not changed, and the Government of the People's Republic of China as a matter of course fully enjoys and exercises China's sovereignty, including sovereignty over Taiwan. Due to the continuation of China's civil war and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have fallen into a special state of long-term political antagonism, but China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided and will never be allowed to be divided, and Taiwan's status as a part of China's territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.
On 25 October 1971, the twenty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, which clearly stated in black and white that "it decides to restore all the rights of the People's Republic of China, to recognize the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the seats they illegally occupy in the United Nations and all its organs". The resolution has resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations in a clean and thorough political, legal and procedural terms, made it clear that there is only one China in the world, that Taiwan is a part of China, not a country, that China has only one seat in the United Nations, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative, and that there are no "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."
If Taiwan's status is undecided, if China's representation does not include Taiwan, why expelle "Chiang Kai-shek's representatives"? Why has China's contribution to the United Nations and many other international organizations for more than 50 years included Taiwan's GDP? With such a clear fact and such a simple truth, why does the United States pretend to be confused?
Second, the UN system has always followed General Assembly Resolution 2758 and upheld the one-China principle in handling Taiwan-related issues. Since the adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 2758, the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and even other intergovernmental international organizations have scrupulously adhered to it, insisting that Taiwan is a province of China and not recognizing the so-called representation of the Taiwan authorities in the international community. The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has issued a number of legal opinions that have made it very clear that "Taiwan is a part of China", "Taiwan has no independent status as a province of China", "the Taiwan authorities do not enjoy any form of governmental status", and "if 'Taiwan' is to be mentioned in a Secretariat document, the expression 'Taiwan Province of China' must be used". Over the past few decades, the UN Secretary-General and his spokesperson have also made it clear that the UN is guided by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and adheres to the one-China principle.
As a part of China's territory, the Taiwan region has no basis, reason or right to join the United Nations and other international organizations in which only sovereign states can participate. Any issue concerning the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle affirmed in UN General Assembly resolution 2758. This was also reaffirmed by the adoption of resolution 25.1 by the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session in May 1972 in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2758. Accordingly, whether and how Taiwan will participate in the WHA can only be decided by the Chinese central government. The DPP authorities have refused to accept the "92 Consensus," which embodies the one-China principle, and have stubbornly adhered to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence," with the result that the political basis for the Taiwan region's participation in the WHA no longer exists. This position of the Chinese Government has been universally supported by the international community. The World Health Assembly has refused to discuss Taiwan-related proposals for many years.
Third, the international community has universally abided by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and fully and accurately implemented the one-China principle. General Assembly resolution 2758 is a decision taken by the General Assembly of the United Nations and should be followed by all Member States. This is a requirement of the Charter of the United Nations, a commitment made by all countries in writing when they join the United Nations, and an obligation that must be fulfilled by the Member States of the United Nations. The one-China principle is also the fundamental premise and political foundation for China to establish and develop relations with all countries. From the first country to establish diplomatic relations with New China to the 183rd country with diplomatic relations with Nauru, they have politically pledged to uphold the one-China principle, and have written political documents such as the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations with China and the joint statement, and have severed so-called "diplomatic" relations with Taiwan. This fully shows that upholding the one-China principle is a major international interest, the will of the people, and the trend of the times.
As a signatory to the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the United States is well aware of the historical and legal facts that Taiwan belongs to China, but it seems to be suffering from "amnesia" and openly challenges the post-war international order. As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, it has not only failed to take the lead in abiding by the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, but has repeatedly questioned and misinterpreted them, eroded the foundation of the United Nations, trampled on the principles of international law, and attempted to mislead international public opinion with its malicious distortion and impose its erroneous position on the international community. Is this what the United States calls a "rules-based international order"? This is clearly a hegemonic hegemony that uses international law in accordance with the rules and abandons those that do not. The world has not forgotten that in the course of discussing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, the United States, in concert with certain countries, tried in vain to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" and pushed forward the "dual representation" proposal without doing its utmost to push forward the "dual representation" proposal. Many countries stood up against it, arguing that the proposal was "illegal and inconsistent with reality, justice and the principles of the UN Charter". Now, the United States is once again going against the tide of history and reversing the verdicts of the international community. The United States should understand that what was not done more than 50 years ago will not succeed today.
Fourth, the United States must stop hollowing out the one-China principle. The Taiwan issue used to be the biggest obstacle to the normalization of Sino-US relations, and the three Sino-US joint communiques have completely resolved this issue, and there should be no difference in understanding and policies between the two sides. In the communiqué, the United States made it clear: "The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate Government of China. "The Government of the United States of America recognizes China's position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China." This is a political commitment of the United States, which also constitutes the political foundation of Sino-US relations, and is still the original meaning of the one-China policy of the United States. However, 45 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the reason why China and the United States are still discussing the Taiwan issue is because the United States has continuously violated the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques, and is still interfering in China's internal affairs and obstructing China's reunification.
The United States claims to adhere to the one-China policy, but it adds the "Taiwan Relations Act" and the "Six Assurances to Taiwan" as prefixes and postnotes. These unilateral concoctions by the United States fundamentally violate the one-China principle and the consensus of the international community, and China has never recognized them. The United States claims to maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan, but the meeting between US and Taiwan officials, the signing of an agreement with sovereignty implications and an official nature, and the transfer of arms and ammunition to China's territory, is this an unofficial relationship? President Biden pledged not to support "Taiwan independence", not to support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", and not to seek to use Taiwan as a tool to contain China. Did the U.S. cash in?
We should remind the United States that turning back the wheel of history is bound to overturn, playing the "Taiwan card" is bound to lead to burning, and engaging in "using Taiwan to contain China" is bound to end in failure.
We would like to warn the United States that the United States has only the obligation to strictly abide by UNGA Resolution 2758, and has no qualifications to arbitrarily misinterpret it, let alone the privilege to act arbitrarily.
We would like to urge the United States not to stand in opposition to the international community, not to stand in opposition to international justice, and not to stand in opposition to the basic norms governing international relations.
Source: Broad Pacific