Taiwan Presidential and Legislative Elections
Results Raise Concerns of Increased U.S. Interference
On January 13, China's province of Taiwan held its presidential and legislative elections. China had stated before the election that should the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) prevail in the election, this would not augur well for the cause of peace. The U.S. has a longstanding practice of interference in the affairs of Taiwan and China, to keep China in check and dominate the entire Asia Pacific. It has been sending warships through the Strait of Taiwan for the past several years where it has no business being, trying to provoke China and then stoke fear-mongering in Taiwan about an alleged imminent Invasion from mainland China, something China has no intention of carrying out.
The turnout was 71.86 per cent of 19,548,531 registered voters. Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has 113 seats, with 57 seats needed for a majority. The incumbent DPP lost 10 seats, falling to 51 seats and losing its majority in the Legislative Yuan. The Kuomintang (KMT ) holds 52 seats, up 14 seats. The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) holds eight seats. Lai Ching-te of the DPP won the presidency with 40.05 per cent of the vote.
The KMT, although a longtime anti-communist ally of the U.S. during the Cold War era, like China adheres to a one-China policy, consistent with conditions for rapprochement between Taiwan and China and reunification, an important factor for peace in the region.
China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning, at a regular press conference on January 15, made the following remarks:
AFP: [A] U.S. senior delegation met with Lai Ching-te and [outgoing President] Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan today. What is your response to this?
Mao Ning: The elections in Taiwan are the affairs of a region in China. China firmly opposes the U.S. having any form of official interaction with Taiwan and interfering in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext. We urge the U.S. to have a clear understanding of the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan question, earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, and act seriously in accordance with the commitments that have been reaffirmed multiple times by the U.S. leaders to not support "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China. The U.S. needs to exercise extreme prudence in handling Taiwan-related issues, and must not obscure and hollow out the one-China principle in any form or send any wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
CCTV: The government of the Republic of Nauru officially announced its decision to recognize the one-China principle, break the so-called "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities and seek to reestablish diplomatic ties with China. What's your comment?
Mao Ning: [...] China appreciates and welcomes the decision of the government of the Republic of Nauru.
There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. It's what has been affirmed in Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly and is a prevailing consensus among the international community. China has established diplomatic relations with 182 countries on the basis of the one-China principle. The Nauru government's decision of re-establishing diplomatic ties with China once again shows that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends. China stands ready to work with Nauru to open new chapters of our bilateral relations on the basis of the one-China principle.
CCTV: After the results of the two elections for 2024 in the Taiwan region were released, the Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the Russian side opposes any form of Taiwan's independence, and called on all outside forces to refrain from provocative actions undermining regional stability and international security. What is China's comment on this?
Mao Ning: We appreciate the remarks of the Russian side. In fact, aside from Russia, many countries and international organizations, including Indonesia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Serbia, Hungary, Papua New Guinea, Cuba, Venezuela, the SCO and the Arab League, have, through issuing statements and press communiqués or answering questions from the press, publicly reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle, their firm support for China's effort to safeguard the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity, their opposition to any form of "Taiwan independence" and their support for China's cause toward reunification. This represents the call for justice and peace from the international community, reflects the extensive consensus of the international community in firmly upholding the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, and embodies the trend of the times and of history. We thank these countries for their understanding of and support for China's just position.
Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change. Taiwan has never been a country and will never be one. We believe that the international community's prevailing consensus on upholding the one-China principle and long-standing and overwhelming adherence to this principle will become more solid. The Chinese people's just cause of opposing "Taiwan independence" and external interference and striving for national reunification will win more understanding and support.
Phoenix TV: Taiwan's foreign affairs office said that China's reiterated groundless remarks in response to the elections of Taiwan that "the Taiwan question is China's internal affairs" were not in line with the perception of the international community and the cross-Strait status quo. It called on the Chinese government to respect the results of the elections and face up to the reality. What's your comment?
Mao Ning: The elections of the Taiwan region belong to the affairs of a region in China. Whatever the results of the election, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change; and the international community's prevailing consensus on upholding the one-China principle will not change.
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. Taiwan is part of China's territory. The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the U.S. and the UK 80 years ago stipulates clearly that all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Taiwan, shall be restored to China. Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation jointly published by China, the U.S., the UK and the Soviet Union in 1945 stipulates that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out. Later Japan accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and announced unconditional surrender. These legally binding international instruments provide the historical and jurisprudential basis for the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. Although the two sides across the Taiwan Strait have yet to be reunified, the sovereignty and territory of China has never been severed and the legal status and fact that Taiwan is part of China's territory has never changed. This is the real status quo of the Taiwan question. China will achieve national reunification and Taiwan will inevitably return to the embrace of the motherland.
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 13 - February 23, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS541321.HTM
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