A white paper, titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era," reiterated the fact that Taiwan is part of China, and emphasized the position and policies of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government.

"Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times," said the white paper, released on Wednesday by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office. "This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence."

On the day of its founding on October 1, 1949, the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) made clear one principle governing the establishment of diplomatic relations with a foreign country, that is, that country must recognize the government of the PRC as the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, severs or refrains from establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan authorities.

To date, 181 countries including the U.S. have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China principle.

The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues of China's representation in the UN, and it covered the whole country, including Taiwan. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations.

"We are one China, and Taiwan is part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable," said the white paper.

Read more:

Explainer: Why Taiwan is an inalienable part of China

Full Text: The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era