This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan to China. The Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China’s territory. A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, all clearly affirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. The restoration of Taiwan to China is an important part of the outcomes of WWII victory and post-war international order.
On October 25, 1971, at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly, Resolution 2758 was adopted with an overwhelming majority, which “[D]ecides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.” The Resolution, based on the one-China principle, resolved once and for all the question of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations, as a political, legal and procedural issue. The Resolution’s legitimacy, validity, and authority brook no challenge. However, certain countries recently are trying to distort and challenge Resolution 2758, blatantly peddling the falsehood of “Taiwan’s status being undetermined” in an attempt to pave the way for Taiwan to seek “international space.” This constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental norms of international relations, including the principles of upholding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs.
UNGA Resolution 2758 carries extensive and authoritative legal force, and serves as the authoritative basis for the UN and organizations related to it to properly handle the Taiwan question. After the adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758, all official UN documents refer to Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China.” It is clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN Secretariat that “the United Nations considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate status.” The adoption of Resolution 2758 has made a wide-reaching and profound political impact on the practice of international relations. It has further consolidated the one-China principle as a basic norm of international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community. To date, 183 countries including Somalia have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.
Somalia played a special part in the effort of the adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758. On July 15, 1971, Somalia and some other countries wrote a letter to the UN Secretary-General, requesting the item entitled “Restoration of the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations” in the agenda of the 26th session of the UNGA as a question of an urgent character. Later, on September 25, Somalia and other 22 countries jointly submitted a draft resolution demanding the restoration of the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations, which laid the foundation for the subsequent adoption of UNGA Resolution 2758.
At present, China and Somalia are both members of the UN Security Council, shouldering the solemn responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, as well as the mission of defending the authority of the United Nations and UNGA resolutions. Both countries have the historical mission of safeguarding national sovereignty and security as well as achieving national unity. China highly commends the federal government of Somalia for upholding the one-China principle. China is working with Somalia to defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, protect the authority of UNGA Resolution 2758, and oppose any attempts and actions to distort and defame the Resolution. China will be consistently and effectively rendering concrete support to Somalia’s endeavor of safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Now, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Somalia strategic partnership is making steady progress in various sectors. China is ready to work with Somalia to enhance the mutual political trust, support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and expand practical cooperation, such as promoting the implementation of the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines and other significant measures for the purpose of benefiting African countries including Somalia. China is also ready to work with Somalia to deepen coordination and cooperation under the framework of the Four Global Initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, to further contribute to the building of the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.
The author is H.E. Wang Yu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Federal Republic of Somalia.
