Taiwan question: Fact & Truth and China’s Solemn Position Featured
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Tonga
By the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Tonga
On 2 August 2022, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. Speaker’s visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Tonga is responsible for elaborating the fact & truth and enunciating China’s solemn position on the Taiwan question to our Tonga friend.
The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, including the US and Tonga, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.
In October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 of 1971, which decided to “restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representative of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”
In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations - “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.”
Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.
The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda.
They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus which embodies the one-China principle, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence”. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.
The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will. The U.S. side claimed that China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. side claimed that there was a precedent of the U.S. House Speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is that past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.
The U.S. side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave. It also claimed that China’s pursuit of reunification is a “threat” to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.
The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.
The one-China principle is also the political foundation of China-Tonga relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 24 years ago, Tonga has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle, which China appreciates. In September 2021, His Majesty King Tupou VI had a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating that by adhering to the principle of independence and self-reliance and the one-China policy, Tonga will continue to firmly support China on issues concerning its core interests.
Tonga supports Pacific island countries in strengthening their relations with China and stands ready to play a positive role in it. In May 2022, His Majesty King Tupou VI met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reaffirming that Tonga firmly pursues the one-China principle and will continue to take it as the cornerstone to continuously push forward bilateral relations.
Both Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku and Foreign Minister Hon. 'Utoikamanu expressed Tonga’s firmly adherence to the one-China principle during their meetings with Wang Yi. We are convinced that Tonga, as a long-term close friend of China, will continue to uphold international justice, support China’s efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, and promote the sustained, healthy and steady development of the comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development between China and Tonga.
