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H.E. Ambassador Wang Guangya's Letter to UN Secretary General H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon

2007-08-30 00:00

 

August 16, 2007
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations
New York

 

Excellency,

With reference to the letter submitted by the Solomon Islands and a very few other countries on August 14, 2007 on the so-called issue of "Taiwan's application for the UN membership", I have been instructed to solemnly state China's position as follows:

1. The Solomon Islands and a very few other countries, instigated by the Taiwan authorities and in defiance of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, have requested the issue of the so-called "Taiwan's application for the UN membership" to be considered in the forthcoming session of the General Assembly in a blatant attempt to clamor for and create "Taiwan independence". This is absolutely preposterous. It is an act that wantonly tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), seriously violates China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely intervenes China's internal affairs, and seriously hurts the feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such an act.

2. Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China's territory since antiquity. Both the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation have reaffirmed in unequivocal terms China's sovereignty over Taiwan as a matter of international law. Although the mainland and Taiwan are not yet reunited, the fact that the two sides belong to one and the same China has never been changed. This is the status quo of cross-Straits relations, and is an objective reality that nobody can change. Up to date, more than 160 countries in the world have established diplomatic relations with China. They all recognize the one-China principle and that Taiwan is a part of China. This is also the principle that the United Nations has consistently adhered to.

3. In 1971, the UN General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session adopted, by an overwhelming majority, the historic resolution 2758 (XXVI), whose political and legal meaning is very clear. It is based on a self-evident fact that China is an integrated country and that Taiwan is a part of China. Thus the issue of China's legal representation was resolved. In accordance with this resolution, the Government of the People's Republic of China resumed its legal representation in the United Nations, inherited the rights and obligations under China's name, and was identified as the sole legal representative of China in the United Nations. Therefore, China's representation in the United Nations has long been resolved once and for all, politically, legally and in terms of procedures. It is ignorant of the Taiwan authorities and a handful of people with ulterior motives to falsely claim that resolution 2758 did not resolve the issue of Taiwan's representation in the United Nations. Such a claim is utterly unfounded. Any attempt to distort or even deny the authority and validity of resolution 2758 is futile.

4. It is clearly stipulated in the UN Charter that only sovereign states are eligible to apply for membership in the United Nations. The principle of universality is also based on sovereign states. As a part of China, Taiwan has never been a sovereign state. It is therefore not eligible to participate in whatever name and under whatever pretext in the United Nations, nor is it in the slightest sense applicable to the principle of universality. No sovereign state in the world would allow one of its provinces or regions to participate in the United Nations, an organization whose membership requires statehood. As a matter of fact, up to date, no sovereign state has ever allowed one of its regions to apply for membership in the United Nations. This is why the motion on the so-called "China's representation" became invalid automatically when it was tabled by a few countries after the adoption of resolution 2758 in 1971. This is also why the General Committee of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 has all flatly refused to include the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" in the agenda of the General Assembly. This has fully demonstrated the determination of the vast number of Member States to safeguard the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 2758. It also shows that the Taiwan authorities will never obtain international support in their attempt to split China by raising the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations".

5. The question of Taiwan is a purely internal affair of China. As a matter between the Chinese people across the Taiwan Straits, it brooks no external interference. In fact, nobody in the world cares more about the prospect and interests of the 23 million Taiwan compatriots than the Chinese Government and people. The position of the Chinese Government on the question of Taiwan is firm and clear. We have consistently adhered to the fundamental principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and the "Eight-point Proposition on the Development of Cross-Straits Relations and the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of the Motherland". President Hu Jintao has pointed out that "peace and development should be the themes of cross-Straits relations and the common objectives of the people across the Taiwan Straits". This gives full expression to the sincerity and resolve of the mainland in promoting the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations and charts the course for the relations across the Taiwan Straits. In recent years, the Chinese Government has taken a series of new measures and steps to promote cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation and achieve peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations. This has received the support of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and won the wide acclaim of the international community. It has been amply proved that promoting cross-Straits exchanges, jointly maintaining peace and stability across the Straits and generating benefits to people on both sides of the Straits are the ardent aspirations of the entire Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots.

6. To uphold state sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve an early and complete reunification serves the fundamental interests of the entire Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots. The Chinese Government has made every effort and worked with utmost sincerity to promote peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations and strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification. However, the Taiwan authorities have obstinately acted against the aspirations of the people on both sides of the Straits, stuck to their separatist position for "Taiwan independence", and tried their utmost to disrupt and damage the development of cross-Straits relations. They have attempted to sever the geographical, historical and cultural bond between Taiwan and the mainland and brazenly sought "de jure Taiwan independence" through "constitutional reengineering" and other steps. Since the beginning of this year, the Chen Shui-bien authorities have instigated a very small number of countries to play the trick of sending letters to the United Nations in an attempt to deceive the United Nations and the international community. At home, they have lost no time in pushing for referendum on the so-called "Taiwan's application for the UN membership" so as to change the status quo that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China and work towards "de jure Taiwan independence". The "Taiwan independence" forces and their separatist activities remain the biggest obstacle to cross-Straits relations and constitute the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. If not curbed in time, they will cause serious tension in the Straits, gravely affect cross-Straits relations and severely jeopardize peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. We hope the Member States see through the adventurous and dangerous nature and serious consequences of the Taiwan authorities' separatist activities for "Taiwan independence". No matter what plots are employed, any act that attempts to confound black and white, subvert resolution 2758 and give impetus to Chen Shui-bien's separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" is doomed to failure.

7. Respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in a country's internal affairs are fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations cherished by all countries. China has strictly followed those principles in its relations with other countries. China values its relations with all Member States of the United Nations and has never done anything harmful to the interests of the above-mentioned co-sponsor countries, but those countries, on the question of Taiwan, have been repeatedly undermining the national interests of China and hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. Their act has also gravely obstructed the work of the General Assembly and wasted the precious resources of the United Nations and its Member States. We strongly urge those countries to change their positions, strictly abide by the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 2758, and identify themselves with the great number of Member States on the Taiwan question. We have every reason to believe that in our just cause of safeguarding state sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese Government and people will continue to receive the understanding and support of all parties.

Your Excellency, I have the honor to request that the present letter be circulated as a document of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly under item 122 of its provisional agenda.

 

 

(Signed) WANG Guangya

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
and Permanent Representative of the
People's Republic of China to the United Nations

 

c.c.

H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa,  President of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly
H.E. Srgjan Kerim,  President of the Sixty-second Session of the General Assembly

 

 

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