On 8th and 18th June, Brunei’s newspaper Borneo Bulletin, United Daily, Sin Chew Daily and See Hua Daily published the article entitled Uphold the Authority of UNGA Resolution 2758 to Safeguard the Post-War International Order by H.E. Xiao Jianguo, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam. The full text is as follows:

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. As a victorious outcome of the Second World War and an integral part of the postwar international order, Taiwan was restored to China.

Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times. A large number of historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people, tracing back as early as 1,800 years ago. Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, successive central governments of China established administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan. In 1662, General Zheng Chenggong, hailed as a national hero, led an expedition that expelled colonialists from the island. The Qing government set up a Taiwan prefecture in 1684 and later upgraded it to a province of China in 1885. In April 1895, Japan forced the defeated Qing government to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. During WWII, a series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, have all affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan.

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, succeeding the Republic of China (1912-1949), and became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous Kuomintang (KMT) 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.

Although the Kuomintang (KMT) regime retreated from the mainland to entrench itself in Taiwan Province, this has never changed the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The mainland and Taiwan are both parts of one China and always will be.

The one-China principle is a universal consensus in the international community and a fundamental norm in international relations. At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 2758, which decided “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”.

This resolution unequivocally affirms that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of the whole of China-including Taiwan-at the United Nations, it clearly confirms that Taiwan is not a separate country but an inalienable part of China’s territory. The resolution resolved all political, legal, and procedural matters regarding China’s representation in the United Nations, covering the entire country, including Taiwan. It is established that there is only one China represented by one seat at the United Nations, ruling out any notion of “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.

Since then, the United Nations has referred to the island as “Taiwan, Province of China”. The United Nations Secretariat’s Office of Legal Affairs has clearly stated that the United Nations considers Taiwan as a province of China with no separate status, and the “authorities” in Taipei are not considered to enjoy any form of government status.

UNGA Resolution 2758 stands as a testament to the authority and impartiality of the United Nations and represents the prevailing international consensus on the Taiwan question. All responsible nations should uphold the United Nations resolution, international law, and the principles governing international relations. However, in recent times, some countries have attempted to reverse history by distorting and challenging the clear meaning of Resolution 2758.

They have supported “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and pushed for the island’s involvement in so-called “international space”. These actions undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as international justice and the postwar global order. Such actions are misguided and destined to fail, meeting resistance from the international community committed to upholding truth and justice.

China and Brunei are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. The friendship between our two sides is rooted in mutual respect for sovereignty and the pursuit of fairness and justice in international affairs. China appreciates Brunei’s support to the one-China principle, which reflects the high-level strategic mutual trust between the two countries. We are confident that with the understanding and support of Brunei and other friendly nations, China will and must achieve reunification.