Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China's foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

The only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is "Taiwan, Province of China." Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference on China's foreign policy and external relations on Friday in Beijing on the sidelines of the ongoing two sessions.

In response to a question that certain countries, for some time, have claimed that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not equate to the one-China principle, does not explicitly determine Taiwan's sovereignty, and does not prevent Taiwan from participating in international organizations, Wang said such a narrative is a blatant challenge to the authority of the UN and the post-war international order.

It is extremely absurd and dangerous. Those who spread it could use some help to improve their common sense, Wang said. 

On Chinese social media, the Foreign Minister's statement that "The only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is 'Taiwan, Province of China'" has topped the trending list. As of press time on Friday, relevant posts have gained over 2.4 billion views on Sina Weibo. 

A number of Taiwan-based celebrities including Angela Zhang, Mark Chao and Patty Hou have reposted relevant posts on Friday on Weibo affirming that the only designation for Taiwan is "China's Taiwan Province," that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and that there is only one China.

In the past few years, the patriotic expressions of celebrities from Taiwan have become increasingly natural, which is not an accidental phenomenon, Zhu Songling, a professor from the Institute of Taiwan Studies of Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Friday. "It is the result of the combined influence of political, economic, and social factors," Zhu said. 

The increasingly natural patriotic expressions of those celebrities are not just an isolated phenomenon in the entertainment industry but a broader trend, Zhu noted. 

Whether due to the changes in the global political landscape, the mainland's increasing economic power, or the evolution of social thought in Taiwan, all these factors are prompting celebrities in Taiwan to embrace their national identity as Chinese and express it voluntarily, Zhu added. 

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is the history and the reality, the Chinese Foreign Minister said at the press conference. 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan. Eight decades ago, the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression put Taiwan back under China's sovereign jurisdiction. Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, issued by major victorious nations of World War II, stated in explicit terms that Taiwan is a territory that Japan had stolen from the Chinese, and shall be restored to China, Wang said. 

Japan also accepted the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation and announced its unconditional surrender. All these have confirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan, and formed an important part of the post-war international order, Wang added. 

Resolution 2758 was later adopted in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority. It decides to restore all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China at the UN and expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the UN and all the organizations related to it, Wang continued. 

Once and for all, this resolution resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN, and precluded any possibility of creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," Wang said. 

The only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is "Taiwan, Province of China." Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future. To clamor for "Taiwan independence" is to split the country, to support "Taiwan independence" is to interfere in China's internal affairs, and to connive at "Taiwan independence" is to undermine the stability of the Taiwan Straits, Wang noted. 

The principle of sovereignty is the cornerstone of the UN Charter. No country or individual should adopt any kind of double standard. Respect for all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity should mean support for China's complete reunification, and commitment to one-China should mean opposition to any form of "Taiwan independence," Wang said.  

Realizing China's complete reunification is a shared aspiration of the Chinese nation. It is an inevitable trend, and it is what the greater national interests entail. Seeking "Taiwan independence" is doomed to backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will be nothing but a futile attempt. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable, Wang added. 

The Foreign Minister's message is primarily directed at two audiences. On one hand, it serves as a warning to the stubborn "Taiwan independence" forces on the island. On the other hand, it's aimed at external interference like the US, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Although US President Donald Trump has made relatively few statements on Taiwan-related matters, some other politicians have remained within the framework of using Taiwan to contain China, Zheng noted.

"The Foreign Minister's remarks also serve as a warning to Lai Ching-te," he said.

In response to a Kyodo News question on China-Japan relations during the press conference on Friday, Wang also warned that "to provoke trouble in the name of Taiwan is to invite trouble for Japan."

The one-China principle is the political foundation for China-Japan relations. Eighty years have passed since Taiwan returned to China. Yet some unrepentant individuals in Japan are still working in the shadows with the so-called "Taiwan independence" forces, Wang noted. 

Here is our message for them: Stop the propaganda that "a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency." The truth is, to provoke trouble in the name of Taiwan is to invite trouble for Japan, Wang said.