The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army recently conducted two-day joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan. This action was a response to what the Chinese mainland authorities described as “pro-independence” remarks by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te.
The Command stated that the drills serve as a resolute punishment for the separatist acts of “Taiwan independence” forces and a stern warning against interference and provocation by external forces.
The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office criticized Lai’s speech, which described Taiwan as a “sovereign, independent nation” and called for collaboration with external forces to pursue “independence” and “counter the threat” posed by the Chinese mainland. The office stated that such remarks pose a serious challenge to the one-China principle.
What has caused the Taiwan question? And why is Taiwan considered an inalienable part of China’s territory? Here are some facts to understand this complex issue.
Historical Ties Dating Back Centuries
Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times. The earliest documented reference to Taiwan is found in the “Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer,” compiled over 1,700 years ago during the period of the Three Kingdoms.
As early as the mid-12th century, various Chinese governments established administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Taiwan. During the Song Dynasty, a garrison was set up in Penghu, placing the territory under the jurisdiction of Fujian’s Quanzhou Prefecture. Successive dynasties, including the Yuan, Ming, and Qing, continued to administer Taiwan, reinforcing China’s territorial claims.
In 1885, under the rule of Qing Emperor Guangxu, Taiwan was formally made a full province of China.
Colonial Period and Recovery
In 1895, following the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
During World War II, the Chinese government declared war against Japan and asserted its intention to recover lost territories. The Cairo Declaration of 1943, issued by China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, stipulated that Japan should return all the territories it had taken from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands.
The Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 reaffirmed the terms of the Cairo Declaration. After Japan’s surrender in August 1945, the Chinese government resumed sovereignty over Taiwan and the Penghu Islands on October 25, 1945.
One-China Principle
On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was established, succeeding the previous government and becoming the sole legitimate government of China. The PRC asserts that it holds sovereignty over all Chinese territory, including Taiwan.
Chinese officials have emphasized that international agreements such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation legally affirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that these documents are integral parts of the post-World War II international order.
“Taiwan has never been and will never be a country,” Wang said during the Munich Security Conference. “This is a basic historical fact and an international consensus.”
Cross-Strait Relations
President Xi Jinping has stressed that the one-China principle is the political foundation for cross-strait relations. During a meeting with Ma Ying-jeou, former chairperson of the Kuomintang (KMT), Xi highlighted the shared heritage across the Taiwan Strait.
“The over-5,000-year history of the Chinese nation recorded successive generations of ancestors moving and settling down in Taiwan, and people from across the Straits fighting side by side to recover the island from foreign invaders,” Xi said.
He added, “The distance of the Straits cannot sever the bond of kinship between compatriots from across the Straits, and the difference in systems does not alter the reality that both sides of the Straits belong to one China, and external interference cannot hold back the historical trend of national reunification.”
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
