Recently, some commentators in Australia have confused right and wrong on the question of Taiwan, misled public opinion and again trumpeted the “China threat”, even concocting the fallacy that Australia will go to war against China. It’s time to set the record straight.

Taiwan is part of China’s territory. Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.

In 1885, the Qing government officially established Taiwan as a single province, making it the 20th province of China at the time. In 1895, the defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan.

The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943 stated that it was the purpose of the three allies that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China.

In 1945, the Chinese government announced it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan, and the ceremony to accept Japan’s surrender in Taiwan Province of the China war theatre of the Allied powers was held in Taibei (Taipei). From then on, China had recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.

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In 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China, and the Central People’s Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change, and China’s sovereignty and inherent territory did not change.

As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China’s full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan. As a result of the civil war in China and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have fallen into a state of protracted political confrontation. But the sovereignty and territory of China have never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan’s status as part of China’s territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.

China’s policy towards Taiwan is consistent and clear. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, making it clear there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.