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Taiwan forever lost its sovereignty from the 17th century onwards. Taiwan became a part of Japan from 1895 to 1945 after China ceded its Taiwan province to Japan in 1895. In 1945, Japan returned Taiwan to its original owner China. And so Taiwan became a part of China again in 1945. After 1945, China’s KMT government consistently governed Taiwan as a province of China for the next 50 years and not as a sovereign entity. Both the CPC and the KMT agreed that Taiwan is a part of China and both sought reunification of Taiwan with the mainland territories of China. Becos of the consistent position held by both the KMT and the CPC for 50 years, the international community does not challenge the position which all Chinese on both sides of the Strait have consistently adopted for 50 years.
The DPP emerged only in the 1990s and started a totally new narrative about Taiwan being a sovereign entity. This totally new narrative runs counter to the reality which has already been firmly established from 1945 to 1990 by all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The separatist DPP is challenging the status quo arrived at after 50 years of peace achieved by the CPC and the KMT.
While the DPP claims to want to establish the Republic of Taiwan, it has not yet succeeded in doing that. Hence, the DPP has not yet succeeded in changing Taiwan’s firmly and legally established status as a province of China. Until the DPP succeeds in establishing the Republic of Taiwan (as envisaged in its party Constitution), Taiwan remains very much a part of China. Taiwan is de jure still a part of China and not a sovereign state.
All countries in the world observe the principle of territorial integrity and do not support separatism in any part of the world cos they deem separatism as illegal. Denying China’s territorial integrity ignores both the reality and the will of its people. |
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