May 8, 2025
No. 144
In a signed article titled “Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future,” published in the Russian Gazette on May 7, Chinese leader Xi Jinping misrepresented historical and legal facts regarding the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758. His preposterous narrative, which distorted reality and deviated from the truth, constitutes a malicious attempt to deceive and mislead the international community and to erase the sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expresses strong displeasure at and condemnation of these false claims.
MOFA reiterates that the 1943 Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and other instruments with legal effect under international law all confirmed the sovereignty of the Republic of China over Taiwan. At the time, the People’s Republic of China did not even exist. How then could these instruments have “all affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan”? The PRC played no role in the fight against Japan during World War II, nor was it invited to the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Therefore, the PRC is in no position to make any claim concerning “part of the postwar international order.”
The status of Taiwan, Penghu, and other islands appertaining or belonging to Taiwan was addressed during and after World War II in a series of legal instruments, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and the 1952 Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan. Furthermore, the Potsdam Proclamation, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and the Treaty of Peace between the ROC and Japan all drew on the Cairo Declaration, which explicitly laid out a legal obligation that Taiwan and the islands appertaining or belonging to it (including the Diaoyutai Islands) should be restored to the Republic of China.
MOFA also reaffirms that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no mention of Taiwan anywhere in its text and, therefore, could not have stated that Taiwan is a part of the PRC. It did not grant legal authority to the PRC to represent Taiwan or the Taiwanese people in the UN and its specialized agencies. By mischaracterizing this resolution, the Chinese government not only ignores historical facts but also violates principles of international law. China and its leaders have relentlessly tried to mislead the international community into accepting its “one China principle.” They have falsely claimed that Taiwan is part of the PRC and that the resolution has authorized China to represent Taiwan in the UN system. These are all attempts to erase the objective reality that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country and to terminate Taiwan’s pursuit of its legitimate right to participate in the UN system.
MOFA urges the international community to oppose China’s continuing effort to distort historical facts and misrepresent UNGA Resolution 2758 in order to change the status quo that neither side of the Taiwan Strait is subordinate to the other. It calls on nations worldwide to jointly condemn China for again resorting to blatant provocations and attempting to undermine the status quo. MOFA emphasizes that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign country and that Taiwan has never been a part of the PRC. It reiterates that neither democratic Taiwan nor authoritarian China being subordinate to the other is the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and that this is a long-standing, internationally recognized, and objective fact. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent the 23.5 million people of Taiwan in the UN system and the international arena. China has no right to interfere. (E)