On 16th August, Suara Timor Lorosae carried an article in English by Ambassador Dr. Xiao Jianguo entitled "China must be and will be reunified ". The full text is as follows:
On August 10, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a white paper titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era", further reaffirming the fact and status quo that Taiwan is part of China, demonstrating the firm willingness and strong determination of the Communist Party of China(CPC) and the Chinese people to pursue the reunification of the motherland and expounding the stance and policies of the CPC and the Chinese government to promote the realization of the reunification of the motherland in the new era. Now, I would like to introduce this white paper to Timorese readers from three aspects: the background, main content and great significance.
1. Background of the white paper
Faced with the new historic juncture, the CPC and the Chinese government published the white paper “The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era” to expound the position and policy in promoting the realization of the reunification of the motherland in the new era. This white paper is full with distinctive characteristics of the times and realistic relevance.
First, from the perspective of the times, after development and national-building in recent years, the resolution of the Taiwan question has entered a new historical point. China has built a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and achieved the first centenary goal as scheduled, starting a new journey to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way and to march toward the second centenary goal. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. The ratio of the mainland's GDP to Taiwan's has expanded from 7.2 times in 1980 to 22.1 times in 2021, further increasing the power comparison between the two sides. The CPC and the Chinese government firmly grasp the dominance and initiative of cross-strait relations, and China is more qualified, confident and capable than ever to accomplish the great cause of national reunification.
Second, from the perspective of policy preparation, over the past 20 years, especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the theory of national unification and policies towards Taiwan have continued to enrich and develop. President Xi Jinping put forward a series of important concepts and major policy propositions on the work on Taiwan, which formed the overall strategy of the CPC to solve the Taiwan question in the new era, and provided the fundamental compliance and action plan for the work on Taiwan.
Third, from the perspective of practical relevance, recently, the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party authorities have cooperated with external forces in the strategy of "Taiwan to control China" and stepped up their "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. Especially under the strong opposition and repeated warnings from the Chinese side, the Speaker of US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is still colluding with Taiwan, seriously undermining the peace across the Taiwan Strait and seriously hurting China-US relations. Under such circumstances, the release of the white paper further deepens the international community's understanding of the Taiwan question and is also a powerful warning and moral condemnation to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their external supporters.
2. The main content of the white paper
The white paper "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era" is a historic document for the Chinese government to resolve the Taiwan question in the new era. It fully expounds the overall strategy of the CPC to resolve the Taiwan question and its major policy toward Taiwan in the new era. I would like to introduce the main content of this white paper focusing on the following three aspects:
First, the white paper expounds in depth the historical latitude and longitude of the Taiwan question and reiterates the fact and status quo that Taiwan is a part of China. The white paper pointed out that Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times and the legal facts are clear. Taiwan's status as part of China's territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change. Resolution 2758 passed by the UN General Assembly in 1971 completely resolved the question of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan in the UN from the political, legal and procedural perspectives. The title used by the UN for Taiwan is "Taiwan, the province of China". The one-China principle is the general consensus of the international community and the proper meaning of abiding by the basic norms of international relations.
Second, the white paper sternly denounces "Taiwan independence" separatist erroneous acts and foreign interference attempts. The white paper points out that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities adhere to the "Taiwan independence" separatist stance, collude with external forces to continuously carry out "independence" provocations, and strive to create "two Chinas" and "one China, one Taiwan" in international community. The above-mentioned actions are serious crimes of splitting the country, harming the common interests of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. This road is absolutely dead end. In the white paper, the word "Taiwan independence" appeared 36 times, and explicitly named and criticized the Democratic Progressive Party 4 times. This is the strongest warning to the Democratic Progressive Party authorities not to cross the "red line" and "bottom line".
Third, the white paper clearly states that the CPC has always regarded solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland as its unswerving historical mission. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by President Xi Jinping, have fully grasped the changes of times in the cross-strait, promoted the realization of the first cross-strait leaders' meeting since 1949, promoted inter-party exchanges on the two sides of the strait, and shared the development opportunities of the mainland with Taiwan compatriots, promoted cross-strait personnel exchanges, cracked down on "Taiwan independence" die-hards in accordance with the law and pushed the development of cross-strait relations in the right direction.
3. The great significance of the release of the white paper
The released white paper this time is the third one after the two white papers "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification"(1993) and "The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Question"(2000), which are of great value and significance.
First, it explains the major policies of the CPC and the Chinese government to promote the reunification of the motherland in the new era, and comprehensively answers the era proposition of how to promote the reunification of the motherland in the new journey of national rejuvenation.
Second, it demonstrates China's determination to resolve the Taiwan question, provides a foundation and direction for the next step in advancing the process of cross-strait reunification, and is the guiding principle and compliance for Taiwan's work in the new era.
Third, it greatly deters the Democratic Progressive Party authorities from seeking "independence" and the vicious tactics of the West powers of playing the "Taiwan card", sending a strong signal to resolutely smash the "Taiwan independence" split and foreign interference attempts.
National rejuvenation and reunification are the general trend, the aspirations of the people as well as the goals that every country strives for unremittingly. China must be and will be unified. China and Timor-Leste are good neighbors and good partners. China gave firm support to Timor-Leste as early as in its struggle for national independence and liberation. After independence, all walks of life in Timor-Leste have always supported the one-China principle, which is highly appreciated by the Chinese side. China will, as always, firmly support and help Timor-Leste to follow a development path that suits its own national conditions. The Chinese side is willing to deepen cooperation with Timor-Leste, and pushes for new achievements in bilateral relations, so as to better benefit the two peoples. China also welcomes all countries, including Timor-Leste, to work with the Chinese side to uphold norms of international relations including mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to join hands to defend the overall interests of the international community.