China Seals UN Resolution 2758: "Taiwan is a Province and Its Status is Final"

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, September 30, published a position paper reaffirming the validity and authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (1971), which recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legitimate representative of China at the UN. The text aims to solidify the One China Principle, asserting that the resolution definitively resolved the issue of representation for all of China, including Taiwan. China condemns any attempts to distort the resolution to support Taiwan's "undetermined status" or its quest for "international space," emphatically defining Taiwan as a "province of China" that is not, and never will be, a sovereign nation. Any challenge to Resolution 2758 is presented as an attack on the UN's authority and the post-WWII international order, destined for failure.

by Gabriele and Nicola Iuvinale

The Content of the Position Paper Released Today

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, September 30, issued a detailed Position Paper to reassert its interpretation and the binding authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971. The document states that the resolution definitively settled the question of representation for all of China, including Taiwan, and constitutes the legal foundation of the One China Principle in international relations.

The One China Principle as the Fundamental Pillar

The core of the document lies in its emphasis on the One China Principle, defined as the existence of only one China in the world, with Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legitimate government representing all of China.

According to Beijing, the adoption of Resolution 2758 on October 25, 1971, solemnly reaffirmed this principle by making three crucial decisions:

1. Restoration of Rights: It decided to "restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China".

2. Sole Recognition: It recognized the PRC's representatives as the only legitimate representatives of China at the UN.

3. Expulsion: It ordered the "immediate expulsion of the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" from the seats they illegally occupied.

The Ministry stresses that this action resolved the issue in a "comprehensive and thorough" manner—politically, legally, and procedurally—eliminating any possibility of creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

Taiwan's Legal Status: "Province of China"

The document directly addresses arguments from "external forces" claiming that Resolution 2758 did not explicitly mention Taiwan. China rejects this thesis, reiterating that, as an organization of sovereign states, the UN cannot accept Taiwan, which is part of China but not a sovereign state.

It cites a legal opinion from the UN Secretariat's Office of Legal Affairs, which confirms that "the United Nations considers that Taiwan, as a province of China, does not have an independent status" and that Taiwan's authorities "do not enjoy any form of government." Since the resolution's adoption, official UN documents have consistently referred to Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China."

Condemnation of Historical Obstruction

The Chinese Ministry does not spare criticism for the United States and other Western countries, accusing them of obstructing the restoration of the PRC's UN seat for 22 years.

The document recalls two major failed obstruction attempts at the 26th General Assembly in 1971: the "Important Question" proposal and the "Dual Representation" proposal, both designed to prevent the full transfer of the seat to the PRC.

Beijing argues that the failure of these maneuvers proves that "the days when the United States and other countries prevented the international community from supporting the one-China principle are over forever." The resolution's passage is portrayed as a global victory against hegemony and power politics.

A Warning to the International Order

The document concludes with a stern warning to anyone attempting to challenge the resolution:

"Challenging UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 is tantamount to questioning the post-World War II international order and the authority of the United Nations."

China accuses the U.S. and others of distorting the resolution and reviving the "false and absurd" claim that "Taiwan's status is undetermined" to seek "international space."

The Ministry reiterates that Taiwan's status was definitively settled with Japan's defeat in 1945. Although complete unification has not yet occurred, China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided.

The position is clear and uncompromising: "Taiwan has never been a nation. It never was, is not now, and never will be." China assures that its 1.4 billion people will not tolerate attempts to separate Taiwan, and that such efforts are "doomed to fail."