‘Taiwan is part of China,’ says Beijing — with SA support

With backing from the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League and a prominent academic, China is set to increase the pressure for the reunification of mainland China and Taiwan.

The call to respect the One China principle, with China as the sole representative of the Chinese people, comes on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit next month at Nasrec, Johannesburg.

It’s also almost a year since the department of international relations and cooperation asked the Taiwan liaison office to move from Pretoria to Johannesburg, where most foreign trade and commercial offices are located.

China renews calls for Taiwan’s reunification

This emerged during a gathering at the Chinese embassy in Pretoria on Saturday, organised to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration to China from Japanese occupation in 1945. Japan colonised Taiwan for 50 years after it was ceded by a weakened Chinese Qing dynasty.

Japan surrendered to the Allied forces comprising China, the US, UK and the Soviet Union in late 1945.

China’s ambassador to South Africa, Wu Peng, told the meeting that Taiwan’s restoration stands as a pivotal achievement in the Chinese people’s victory against Japanese aggression.

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“It serves as irrefutable proof of the Chinese government’s restoration of sovereignty over Taiwan, forming a crucial link historically and legally affirming Taiwan as an inalienable part of China. It does deserve our joint commemoration,” Wu said.

He said Taiwan had been an inalienable part of China since ancient times. Numerous historical records and documents detail the early development of Taiwan by the Chinese people.

“Effective administrative jurisdiction of Taiwan by the Chinese government dates back as early as the 12th century,” Wu said.

80th restoration anniversary

Wu said the standing committee of the National People’s Congress of China had designated 25 October as Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s restoration.

China does not recognise Taiwan’s territory, as Taipei and some Western countries claim, but regards the island as one of its provinces.

Looking back in time, one of the speakers and assistant director of the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights, Lloyd Kuveya, recalled that China, the US and the UK issued the Cairo Declaration in 1943, stating that the territories stolen from China by Japan should be returned to China.

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“Under the Cairo Declaration, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands were recognised as territories stolen from China by Japan. Most African nations today, except Eswatini, endorse the One China principle and that Taiwan is, according to historical facts and international law, an integral part of China,” Kuveya said.

“Indeed, this principle fosters peace, unity, prevents instability and conflict, rejects the perpetuation of arbitrary divisions imposed by colonial masters and helps to spearhead development.

“Taiwan’s liberation and the return to the motherland were indeed critical outcomes of the victory against Japan’s aggression.

‘Victory against Japan’s aggression’

“The separatist or cessationist ambitions for Taiwan’s independence have no historical or legal basis,” Kuveya said.

Wu said the Potsdam Declaration, signed in Germany in 1945 by China, the US and the UK, reiterated that the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japan itself also pledged to “carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration in good faith”.

China wants to draw lessons from history and reaffirm its aspiration to uphold the post-war international order and safeguard fairness and justice, he said.

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