China's Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected recent claims by Taiwan authorities questioning the legal basis of Taiwan’s status as part of China, calling such assertions a distortion of post-World War II history. The dispute centers on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership’s reference to the 1951 San Francisco Treaty, which they claim invalidates earlier agreements affirming China’s sovereignty over the island.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a press briefing that Taiwan’s return to China was cemented through legally binding documents like the 1943 Cairo Declaration and 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, which Japan accepted in its surrender. "The historical and legal facts are clear: Taiwan has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory since ancient times," Mao emphasized.
Mao dismissed the San Francisco Treaty as "illegitimate and void," noting it was drafted without participation from the People’s Republic of China or the Soviet Union. She stressed that the treaty violated the 1942 United Nations Declaration and the UN Charter, which require territorial integrity to be respected.
The spokesperson accused DPP authorities of "betraying national interests" by attempting to rewrite history and undermine cross-strait stability. "No rhetoric or actions can alter the international consensus on the one-China principle," she said, reiterating Beijing’s position that Taiwan has been governed as part of China since the PRC’s founding in 1949.
Analysts suggest the renewed focus on historical agreements aims to counter recent DPP efforts to bolster international support for Taiwan’s separate status. Over 180 countries recognize the one-China principle, though tensions persist in the Taiwan Strait.
