Today, I raise my pen and a piece of paper again to continue echoing my voice around the world on an issue which continues to take and capture many people’s mind. This is nothing other than the Taiwan question and China’s reunification in the new era.

My article will broadly be supported and grounded and anchored by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which my country the United Republic of Tanzania and many other nations, fully supported at the United Nations General Assembly gathering in 1971. This resolution unequivocally affirmed the PRC’s sovereignty and its exclusive status as the sole legitimate government representing all of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, Resolution 2758 primarily addressed the question of which government represented China in the United Nations. It restored the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and recognized its representatives as the only legitimate representatives of China. The United Nations is an international organization composed solely of sovereign states and can only accept representatives dispatched by sovereign states. Taiwan is part of China and not a sovereign state. The UN Charter does not permit representatives of Taiwan to participate in the United Nations under the name "Taiwan".

Historically, there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China's territory since ancient times. The representation of China in the United Nations has always represented the whole of China, including Taiwan. The UNGA Resolution 2758 (XXVI), adopted unanimously on October 25, 1971, stands as a significant event in the diplomatic history of the People's Republic of China, the history of the United Nations, and the evolution of international relations following World War II. Its legitimacy, effectiveness, and authority are not subject to challenge. And it is no doubt that UNGA Resolution 2758 laid the foundation for the one-China principle. The PRC has consistently asserted that UNGA Resolution 2758 affirms the "one-China" principle, which posits that there is only one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of it. This is the principle and position that most countries in world support; although some individuals oppose it.

China is a founding member state and a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations Security Council, as confirmed in the adoption of the Charter of the United Nations in 1945. At that time, China's official designation was the Republic of China (ROC). In 1949, the Chinese people overthrew the Government of the Republic of China and changed the state title to the People's Republic of China (PRC), establishing the Central People's Government of the PRC. This was a transition from an old regime to a new regime within the continuity of the same international legal entity, without altering China’s sovereignty or inherent territorial boundaries. The Government of the PRC naturally and fully enjoys and exercises China’s sovereignty, including sovereignty over Taiwan.

Under international law, all rights of China in the United Nations rightfully belong to and should be exercised by the People’s Republic of China. In November 1949, Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council of the PRC, sent a telegram to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Fourth UN General Assembly, declaring that the "reactionary Kuomintang government" had lost all legal and factual basis to represent the Chinese people, and demanding the immediate withdrawal of the "delegation of the Chiang Kai-shek clique" from continuing to represent China at the UN. However, the United States and other Western countries obstructed this process, deliberately creating barriers that allowed the Taiwan authorities’ illegal occupation of China’s UN seat for an extended period. The PRC engaged in a sustained and determined struggle to restore its lawful seat in the United Nations.

As China’s comprehensive national strength grew and the international situation evolved, the global community increasingly recognized and supported the just cause of the PRC’s restoration of its legitimate UN membership

 There is no doubt that Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. A large number of historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in earlier periods. The Eastern Wu Kingdom (3rd century) and the Sui Dynasty court (7th century) both sent more than 10,000 people to Taiwan. Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.

One-China Principle

It is evident that the UNGA Resolution 2758 possesses extensive and authoritative legal validity, guiding and binding all United Nations member states and international organizations to handle Taiwan-related issues in accordance with the one-China principle. This Principle encompasses three fundamental tenets: There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Tanzania resolutely opposes any form of “Taiwan independence” and supports all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. 

The one-China principle serves as the premise and political foundation of UNGA Resolution 2758, which unequivocally reaffirms and fully embodies this principle. The resolution clarifies that: There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China, not a sovereign state. China holds only one seat in the United Nations, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of all of China, including Taiwan. There is no room for "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

Since the adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758, official United Nations documents have consistently referred to Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". Legal opinions issued by the UN Office of Legal Affairs explicitly state that "the United Nations considers 'Taiwan' as a province of  China with no separate status", and the "'authorities' in 'Taipei' are not considered to... enjoy any form of government status". These positions reflect the consistent stance of the United Nations and are well-documented in its practices.

The adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758 has had profound and far-reaching political implications in international relations, effectively promoting the one-China principle as a fundamental norm of international relations and a broad consensus within the global community. To date, 183 countries have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of this principle. For the African continent, China and Africa have achieved significant economic development through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) by implementing many key projects.

In the current wave of globalization, countries around the world are increasingly interconnected, leading to the establishment of numerous platforms for dialogues and exchanges. However, not many of them are stable and resilient enough to operate efficiently in the long term, and even fewer can bring together dozens of heads of state and attract global attention. But FOCAC is a different story. Since its establishment, China has helped Africa to build and upgrade almost 100,000 kilometers of roads, more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 1,000 bridges and almost 100 ports.

The distortions and challenges to UNGA Resolution 2758 by the United States and certain other countries aim to revive the discredited lie of "Taiwan’s status undetermined," thereby creating space for Taiwan to seek "international recognition." Their ultimate goal is to advance the strategy of "using Taiwan to contain China", obstruct China’s complete reunification and national rejuvenation, and undermine the fundamental norms of international relations. This exposes once again the U.S. practicing unilateralism, power politics, and double standards on issues of sovereignty and non-interference.

Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. It is indispensable for the realization of China's rejuvenation. It is also a historic mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC, the Chinese government, and the Chinese people have striven for decades to achieve this goal. The international community should support this reunification.

The 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 heralded a new era in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, the CPC and the Chinese government have adopted new and innovative measures in relation to Taiwan. They have continued to chart the course of cross-Straits relations, safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and promote progress towards national reunification. However, in recent years, the Taiwan authorities, led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have redoubled their efforts to divide the country, and some external forces have tried to exploit Taiwan to contain China, prevent the Chinese nation from achieving complete reunification, and halt the process of national rejuvenation. Any attempt to reverse this course would be a total disrespect of the UNGA Resolution 2758.

The CPC has united the Chinese people and led them in fulfilling the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, and in embarking on a new journey towards the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a modern socialist country. The Chinese nation has achieved a historic transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength, with national rejuvenation now driven by an unstoppable force. This marks a new starting point for the great cause of reunification.

The Chinese government has published 3 white papers on Taiwan. One was "The Taiwan Issue and China's Reunification" in August 1993, and the next one was "The one-China principle and the Taiwan Issue" in February 2000. These two white papers provided a comprehensive and systematic elaboration of the basic principles and policies regarding the resolution of the Taiwan question. The third white paper "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" was published in August 2022, to reiterate the fact that Taiwan is part of China, to demonstrate the resolve of the CPC and the Chinese people and their commitment to national reunification, and to emphasize the position and policies of the CPC and the Chinese government in the new era.

The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. To date, 183 countries including the United States have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China principle. The China-US Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, published in December 1978, states: "The Government of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China." It also states: "The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan." This commitment must be respected, and indeed, it lays a strong foundation for international relations principles and cooperation of the international community with only one China.

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, adopted at the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress (NPC) in December 1982, stipulates: "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. It is the inviolable duty of all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, to accomplish the great task of reunifying the motherland." It is this same constitution that the international community follows in their interactions and cooperation with China. As the saying goes," When one preaches to people to drink water, he should also be drinking the same water from the same pot." One cannot establish diplomatic relations and cooperation with China while disputing the one-China principle.

The Anti-Secession Law, adopted at the Third Session of the 10th NPC in March 2005, stipulates: "There is only one China in the world. Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included. Taiwan is part of China. The state shall never allow the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces to make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means."

Also, the National Security Law, adopted at the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC in July 2015, stipulates: "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of China brook no violation or separation. Safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity is the common duty of all Chinese citizens, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots." There is but one China, and Taiwan is part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable. Any attempt to distort these facts and dispute or deny the one-China principle will end in failure.

To bring my article to a conclusion, I wish to state that over its 5,000-year history, China has created a splendid culture that has shone like a star throughout the world from past times to present, and has made an enormous contribution to human society, particularly on economic advancement. After a century of suffering and hardship, the nation has overcome humiliation, emerged from backwardness, and embraced boundless development opportunities. Now, it is striding towards the goal of national rejuvenation.

China has made significant progress in eradicating poverty, with a notable achievement being the announcement in 2021 that it had eliminated absolute poverty nationwide. This success is attributed to a combination of factors, including rapid economic growth, targeted poverty alleviation policies, and a focus on rural development. Unity and cohesion among the people of China will always remain a key pillar to these changes. It is therefore paramount for any country, organization or individual to support the one-China principle and reunification for further economic progress, prosperity and development.

By Omar Mjenga, ndc