RE: UNITE FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD AND TAIWAN INCLUSION IN THE UN

 Charles Onunaiju contends that the piece is mischievous

The article of the above title written by a staunch member of the Taiwan separatist clique and published in the THISDAY Newspaper is aimed at bringing the Nigeria’s long-standing and historic “One – China” policy to disrepute. Nigeria participated with 75 other countries in the world to vote for the expulsion of the representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek from “the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all organizations relate to it” and thereby entrenched the spirit of the historic resolution as a core cornerstone of its foreign relations and especially with People’s Republic of China. 

 Mr. Joseph Wu, an ambitious member of the Taiwan separatist clique, chose in the article to distort historical facts with the potential aim to stir ambiguity in the facts contained in the iconic UN resolution 2758, which has gone down as one of the core principles of contemporary international relations with the United Nations system as the central pillar.

 Mr. Joseph Wu, claimed “Since the mid – 20th century, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has vowed to take control of Taiwan and refuse to renounce the use of force, despite never having ruled Taiwan.” This is rather disingenuous. Beijing has vowed that the reunification of China, is a historic condition for the rejuvenation of their homeland and it is a well known fact that the aspiration for unification is a common wish of all Chinese people living both in the mainland and the island. Mr. Wu and his separatist clique has deviated from the long claim of General Ching Kai-Shek, who maintained that there is only one China and his rebellious regime protected by the US armor is the legitimate representative of all the Chinese people. He held on to this illusion until the UN expelled his representative from the world body, while re- admitting Beijing as the sole and only representative of all the Chinese people. The argument of a separate Taiwan was recent and principally advocated by the extremist and ambitious Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that has played into the hands of Washington geopolitical games to contain China.

For the record and clarity, China has never vowed to take Taiwan by force and this is simply because no country invades part of its own. Beijing has emphatically maintained that it would use force as a last recourse to deter any attempt to balkanize its homeland, in this case, if any foreign force dared to collude with local separatist hotheads to create “two China’s” or One China, One Taiwan”. In other words, The People’s Republic of China would not only resist but would decisively thwart any effort  to infringe on her sovereignty by any attempt to create “independent” Taiwan. Beijing has created enormous and conducive room for cross straits cooperation between the mainland and Island Chinese and has demonstrated strategic patience to accomplish national unification through peaceful negotiation.

 The 1992 consensus reaffirmed that both sides of straits belong to One China and should work together to strive for national unification.

 Mr. Joseph Wu, who ostensibly think that the iconic UN resolution 2758 is too long in the past and therefore, can be  so brazenly distorted as he sought to do in his article may just have to have a rethink. He claimed the “resolution neither states that Taiwan is a part of the PRC nor gives the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan in the UN and its specialized agencies.” For the avoidance of doubt, the resolution stated as follows: “Recalling the principles of the charter of the United Nations, “Considering that the restoration of the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China is essential both for the protection of the charter of the United Nations and for the cause that the United Nations must serve, 

” Recognizing that the Representative of the Government of the People’s Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations and that the People’s Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council,  “Decides to restore all the rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its government as the only legitimate Representative of China to United Nations,

” to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it”. 

To bring clarity and context to this historic resolution, which Nigeria voted, the reference to the “Government of the People’s Republic of China are the only lawful representative of China to the United Nations” is unambiguous and very categorical and there is no reference to Taiwan because Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and part of the totality of her sovereign expression. 

Mr. Wu’s desperate attempt to distort both the letter and spirit of the UN historic resolution was a matter of recent separatist delusion, which even Chiang Kai-Shek did not harbor.

 China has emerged as a responsible power, playing important roles in shaping the emerging inclusive and law- based international  order anchored on the principles of the United Nations. Beijing has been a foremost advocate of international understanding and in this regard, has consistently offered Initiatives to generate dialogue on global development, security and civilization and to be driven by the collective wisdom of all humanity.

 The Taiwan separatist clique, driven by ambition to betray their homeland has chosen a path that leads to nowhere, as their future, if they have any, rests squarely in a dialogue with their compatriots across the straits on the basis of their national unification, a sentiment broadly and widely shared by all the Chinese people which view it as their most assured road map to rejuvenation.

Mr. Onunaiju, director of Abuja based Think Tank