Recently, certain personnel of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv disseminated fallacies advocating “Taiwan independence” in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, inciting support for “seeking Taiwan independence by force and rejecting reunification.”
Such words subvert international justice and law, challenge the post-war international order, and are not only absurd but also highly dangerous.
First, the true status quo of the Taiwan Question is that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.
The earliest recorded reference to Taiwan dates back to China’s Three Kingdoms period in CE 230, roughly the same era in which the Jewish classic Mishna took shape.
In 1895, following Japan’s war of aggression against China, the Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan.
And then, a series of international legal instruments, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, clearly required that Taiwan, which had been stolen by Japan, be restored to China.
In 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, with Israel voting in favor, making clear that there is but one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China.
Although the two sides of the strait have remained politically divided for a prolonged period, China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been severed. Taiwan is a province of China.
It has never been a country, not in the past, and never in the future.
Second, the Taiwan Strait is not “international water.” In fact, there is no such concept as “international water” in international maritime law.
The Legal Status of the Taiwan Strait
Claims by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities that the Taiwan Strait constitutes “international water,” or comparisons to the Strait of Hormuz, are nothing more than political tricks designed to advance “Taiwan independence.”
The Taiwan Strait is about 70 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point and, at its widest, about 220.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and relevant Chinese laws and regulations, the waters of the Taiwan Strait extend from the coasts on both sides toward the centerline of the strait and consist, respectively, of China’s internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone.
The strait does not constitute a “strait used for international navigation” as defined by UNCLOS and is fundamentally different from the Strait of Hormuz.
China enjoys sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait and, at the same time, respects the lawful rights of other countries in the relevant waters.
Third, the DPP authorities’ collusion with external forces to pursue “Taiwan independence” provocations is the greatest threat to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the major source of instability in the region.
By claiming that US arms sales to Taiwan are necessary for its security and deliberately pursuing a strategy of “seeking Taiwan independence by force,” the DPP authorities have escalated cross-strait confrontation and have fully exposed themselves as peace disruptors, crisis creators, and war instigators.
“Taiwan independence” is fundamentally incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait. We solemnly warn the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces that “seeking Taiwan independence by force” and “by relying on external forces” are dead ends.
External efforts to arm Taiwan will only embolden separatist activities and push the Taiwan Strait toward heightened tensions and the risk of conflict. Any provocative actions that cross the red line on the Taiwan Question will be met with resolute countermeasures from China.
I hope that friends from all sectors of Israeli society will, through this introduction, gain a better understanding of the facts and truth regarding the Taiwan Question and avoid being misled by those with ulterior motives.
The writer is the spokesperson for the People’s Republic of China’s Embassy in Israel.