A China-Australia war is a fallacy: Xiao Qian

Recently, some commentators in Australia have confused right and wrong on the issue of Taiwan, misled public opinion and trumpeted the “China threat” again, even concocting the fallacy that Australia will go to war with China. It’s time to set the record straight.

Taiwan is part of China’s territory. Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. Beginning in the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

In 1885, the Qing government officially established Taiwan as a single province, making it the 20th province of China at the time. In 1895, the defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan.

The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943 stated that it was the aim of the three allies that all the territories that Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, had to be repaired. to China.

In 1945, the Chinese government announced that they were resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan, and the ceremony to accept Japan’s surrender in the Taiwan province of the China theater of war of the Allied forces was held in Taibei (Taipei). Since then, China has reclaimed Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal ramifications.

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In 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established, which became the successor to the Republic of China, and the Central People’s Government became the sole legal government of all of China. The new government replaced the previous regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change, and China’s sovereignty and inherent territory did not change.

As a natural consequence, the government of the PRC must enjoy and exercise China’s full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan. As a result of the civil war in China and the interference of external powers, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have fallen into a state of protracted political confrontation. But the sovereignty and territory of China has never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan’s status as part of China’s territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.

China’s policy towards Taiwan is consistent and clear. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, making it clear that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government governing all of China. represent.