America's hegemony deepens China-Taiwan tensions

_________________

OPINION

By Nnanda Kizito Sseruwagi

If a nuclear war is ever to happen between the US and China, Taiwan is likely to be the flashpoint of conflict. China’s differences with Taiwan date back to the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949), when the defeated Kuomintang (KMT) government fled to Taiwan in 1949, following the victory of Mao Zedong’s CCP over Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT. The CCP established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on mainland China in 1949, while Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan, a province of China, with over 2 million soldiers, officials, and civilians loyal to him, claiming to continue with the Republic of China (ROC). Since no formal treaty ended the civil war, it remains a frozen conflict.

Legally speaking, in line with principles of international law and the post World War II international order, the legitimacy, validity and authority of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN, as a political, legal and procedural issue was formally resolved by the adoption of Resolution 2758 on October 25, 1971, at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly.

The Resolution read in part that the UN General Assembly “decides 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 where they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”

The effect of adopting Resolution 2758 is that it fully confirmed the one-China principle. The basic implication of this is that it recognised the fact that there is only one China in the world, the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

History is also clear about what transpired in China in 1949. After a protracted armed struggle of 22 years, the Chinese people overthrew the government of the old Republic of China (ROC), renamed the country the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and established the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China. The PRC was a new government replacing the old one within the same country. This did not change China’s sovereignty and inherent territorial boundaries.

Therefore, it shouldn’t be difficult for anyone to understand that the government of the People’s Republic of China should naturally and fully exercise China’s sovereignty, including sovereignty over the region of Taiwan.

One of the key factors hindering the peaceful Resolution of this conflict is the hegemony of the US and other Western countries. These countries obstructed the process of China regaining its seat in the UN for 22 years.

Following the adoption of Resolution 2758, the one-China principle became a basic norm of international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community. It was also marked by the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle by 183 countries.

The denial of this legal and political precedence by the US and other Western countries is what partly continues the tensions between China and Taiwan, and is a clear exercise of hegemony over all these countries and China.

Additionally, the US has brazenly pushed imperialist policies against China for over 20 years by forcibly imposing the Chiang Kai-shek clique as the representatives of China to the UN, thus undermining and disregarding the legitimate representation of China. By artificially propping up a regime to rival the legitimate government of China, the US interfered and continues to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, contrary to international law and norms.

Another characteristic of hegemony and imperialism by the US and a handful of allies on this issue is their attempts to challenge and distort Resolution 2758, by falsely claiming that “Taiwan’s status is undetermined.”

They want to hide behind this pretext to create a conduit for Taiwan to claim “international space.” With an excuse for making such a claim, Taiwan could argue that it meets the four criteria for statehood under the Montevideo Convention, i.e., that it has a permanent population of 23 million people, a defined territory of the island of Taiwan and associated territories, an effective government, and capacity to enter relations since it has De facto diplomatic and economic relationships with numerous countries.

Taiwan could also argue for self-determination under the pretext that its population has developed a distinct political identity. America and its allies could be scheming to execute this chain of events for Taiwan’s independence, although this would be a violation of the fundamental norms of international relations, especially the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

What is clear is that the status of Taiwan was fully settled legally by Resolution 2758. Taiwan is not a sovereign entity. It has no standing claim for statehood or international representation.

The writer is a senior research fellow, Development Watch Centre