H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
New York

August 12, 2005

Excellency,

With reference to the letters (A/60/192, A/60/193) recently addressed to you by Chad and a very few other countries, I have been instructed to solemnly state China's position as follows:

1. The above-mentioned countries, in brazen violation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in defiance of General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), have once again requested the issue of the so-called "Taiwan participation in the United Nations" to be considered in the coming session of the General Assembly. They have also requested the consideration of the so-called "a proactive role of the United Nations in maintaining peace in the Taiwan Straits". The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such a gross encroachment on China's internal affairs.

2. Taiwan is a part of China's territory and it has never been a country. There is only one China in the world, and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Though reunification is yet to be realized between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, the fact that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China has never been changed, and this is the status quo of cross-Straits relations. This is an objective reality that nobody can change and deny. 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), which stipulated unequivocally that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. Thus the issue of China's representation in the United Nations was solved once and for all. Since Taiwan is a region of China, China's representation in the United Nations naturally includes Taiwan. There is simply no such issue as the so-called "Taiwan's representation in the United Nations". Any attempt to distort or even deny resolution 2758 (XXVI) is futile.

4. The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization composed of sovereign States. As a part of China, Taiwan is not eligible to participate, in whatever name, in the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The General Committees of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 have all flatly rejected 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 (XXVI). It also shows that the Taiwan authorities will never receive 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 matter of China. 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 "Eight-point Proposition on the Development of Cross-Straits Relations and the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of the Motherland". On 4 March this year, President Hu Jintao set forth four-point guidelines on cross-Straits relations under the new circumstances, which has been warmly acclaimed by the compatriots on both sides of the Straits and received wide attention in the world. Adherence to the one-China principle is the cornerstone for developing cross-Straits relations and realizing peaceful reunification. We have always advocated cross-Straits dialogues and negotiations on the basis of the one-China principle.

Not long ago, Mr. Lien Chan, Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, Mr. James Soong, Chairman of the People First Party, and Mr. Yu Mu-ming, Chairman of the New Party, paid successful visits to the mainland, at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and its General Secretary Mr. Hu Jintao. General Secretary Hu held formal talks with each of them respectively, during which the two sides had a sincere, frank and in-depth exchange of views on major issues relating to cross-Straits relations and inter-party ties. These visits help move cross-Straits relations towards peace and stability, serve the common interests of people on both sides of the Straits and conform to the aspiration of Taiwan compatriots for peace, stability and development, thus receiving broad support from people on both sides of the Straits and winning full recognition by the international community.

6. It must be pointed out that in recent years, significant and complex changes have taken place on the Taiwan Island, where the "Taiwan independence" secessionists have intensified their secessionist activities, causing serious impacts on the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations. This has increasingly become the biggest obstacle to the growth of cross-Straits relations as well as the biggest immediate threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. For the purpose of opposing and checking Taiwan's secession from China by secessionists in the name of "Taiwan independence", promoting peaceful national reunification, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, preserving China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, the National People's Congress of China adopted the Anti-Secession Law on 14 March this year.

This legislation, while identifying the nature of the Taiwan question, codifies the Chinese Government's basic guidelines on the Taiwan question as well as the relevant major policies and important propositions it has implemented or advanced over the years. The law also harmonizes the principles and guidelines on the settlement of the Taiwan question in an integrated fashion, and embodies our position that on the premise of one China, any topic can be discussed between the two sides across the Straits. The provisions in the law have given full expression to our consistent position and proposition for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost efforts and maximum sincerity, and at the same time they have demonstrated the common will of the entire Chinese people to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Anti-Secession Law is a domestic law of China, and a defensive measure for safeguarding State sovereignty and territorial integrity and for enabling a prospect of peaceful reunification. In view of the immense destructiveness of the secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence" to cross-Straits relations and the severe threat they pose to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region at large, the Anti-Secession Law provides for taking non-peaceful means to stop Taiwan's secession from China by the "Taiwan independence" forces. It must be pointed out here that we are willing to strive for peaceful reunification with maximum sincerity and utmost efforts. Nevertheless, no sovereign State can tolerate secession. Non-peaceful means to stop Taiwan's secession from China by the "Taiwan independence" forces will be used only as the last resort and only when our efforts for a peaceful reunification prove completely futile. Therefore, the Anti-Secession Law is of great importance to opposing and checking the reckless secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence", and to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region.

It is the "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities perpetrated by the Taiwan authorities that are the real source of tension in the Taiwan Straits. The Taiwan authorities must abandon their secessionist position and stop all secessionist activities in the name of "Taiwan independence", so that peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits can be maintained. To safeguard State sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize complete national reunification at an early date is the common aspiration and strong will of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots. Nobody nor any force can change or stop it.

7. Respect for State sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in a country's internal affairs are important principles of the Charter of the United Nations cherished by all countries in the world. China has strictly followed those principles in its relations with other countries. China has never done anything harmful to the interests of the above-mentioned co-sponsor countries, but what those countries have been doing regarding the question of Taiwan under the instigation of the Taiwan authorities has undermined the national interests of China and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. It has also gravely obstructed the work of the General Assembly. We strongly urge those countries to change their positions, strictly abide by the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 2758 (XXVI), and identify themselves with the great number of Member States on the Taiwan question. We highly appreciate the right position adopted by the United Nations and the vast number of Member States in abiding by the one-China principle. 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 their understanding and support.

I have the honour to request that the present letter be circulated as a document of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly under item 116 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