Beijing, China – During discussions with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Beijing on December 8, 2025, Wang Yi, a member of the CPC Central Committee’s Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, outlined the legal and historical foundations of the Taiwan issue.
According to Wang Yi, the Japanese leader’s outrageous statements that Japan can use force in a “Taiwan contingency” flagrantly violate Japan’s obligations to China, seriously jeopardize peace in Asia and the wider world, and flagrantly violate China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taiwan has been a part of China’s territory since ancient times, Wang stressed.
In December 1943, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom signed the Cairo Declaration, which specifically called for the return of all the areas that Japan had taken from the Chinese, including Taiwan, to China following the conclusion of World War II. Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation, which was signed in July 1945 by China, the United States, and the United Kingdom and later joined by the Soviet Union, said that the Cairo Declaration’s provisions would be implemented.
Following Japan’s loss in the war on August 15, 1945, the Japanese Emperor declared Japan’s unconditional surrender and promised to implement the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation in good faith. On October 25, the Chinese government held a ceremony in Taipei to accept the Japanese surrender in the Taiwan Province of the China theater and declared that it would once again exercise its authority over Taiwan.
The government of the Republic of China was replaced in 1949 by the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, which became the only legitimate government representing the all of China. As a result, it naturally started to exercise sovereignty over all of China’s territory, including Taiwan.
Resolution 2758, which was voted by the 26th session of the UN General Assembly in 1971, called for the immediate expulsion of Taiwanese government representatives from the organization and the restoration of the PRC’s rights within the UN. The official legal opinion of the U.N. confirmed Taiwan’s status as a province of China.
According to the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Chinese government’s position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China is fully understood and respected by the Japanese government, which acknowledges the PRC government as China’s only legitimate government. Additionally, the Japanese government committed to upholding Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation.
The 1972 Joint Statement’s tenets should be closely adhered to, according to China and Japan’s 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.
According to Wang, Taiwan’s position has been “sealed with seven locks,” and these indisputable facts demonstrate that Taiwan is a part of China as a matter of law and policy. Supporting “Taiwan independence” entails meddling in China’s domestic affairs, and pursuing “Taiwan independence” entails dividing China’s territory; these actions are against both international law and China’s Constitution.
In this year marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression’s victory, Wang stated that Japan, as a defeated nation, ought to express regret for its war crimes and exercise extreme caution.
However, the leader of the nation that had colonized Taiwan for fifty years and perpetrated numerous crimes against the Chinese people should have the audacity to threaten China with force and make provocations over Taiwan?
This is totally unacceptable! In addition to upholding the goals and ideals of the U.N. Charter, the Chinese people, together with all peace-loving people worldwide, have a duty to oppose Japan’s desire to rearm itself and potentially resurrect militarism.
