Explainer: Why is Taiwan question the first red line in China-U.S. ties?

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Sunday condemned the United States for arranging Lai Ching-te's "stopover," reiterating that the Taiwan question is the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

It is reported that leader of China's Taiwan region Lai has begun his trip to so-called "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific, and he has arrived in Hawaii for a "stopover."

In response, the spokesperson said the Chinese side has lodged serious protests with the U.S. and noted that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests.

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Sunday also states China's consistent and clear position that China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan and firmly opposes any trip by the leader of the Taiwan authorities to the U.S. in any name or under whatever pretext.

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office urged the U.S. to fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

Why is Taiwan an inalienable part of China's territory? What is the one-China principle? What political commitments has the U.S. made on the Taiwan question? Here are some basic facts.

Origin of the Taiwan question

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. The earliest written account of Taiwan was in the Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer, compiled more than 1,700 years ago by Shen Ying of the State of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280).

However, Japan forced the defeated Qing (1644-1911) government to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands through a war of aggression against China in April 1895.

In July 1937, Japan launched an all-out war of aggression against China. In December 1941, the Chinese government issued a declaration of war against Japan, announcing to the world that all treaties, conventions, agreements and contracts regarding relations between China and Japan had been abrogated and that China would recover Taiwan and the Penghu Islands.

In December 1943, the Cairo Declaration was issued by the Chinese, U.S. and British governments, stipulating that Japan should return to China all the territories it had stolen, including northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands.

The Potsdam Proclamation, signed by China, the U.S. and Britain in 1945 (later adhered to by the Soviet Union), stipulated that "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." In August 1945, Japan surrendered and promised that it would faithfully fulfill the obligations laid out in the Potsdam Proclamation.

On October 25, 1945, the Chinese government recovered Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan. From that point forward, China had recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.

On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China (1912-1949), and the Central People's Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The Kuomintang (KMT) retreated to Taiwan after the defeat, and set up a local secessionist regime with the support of external forces until now. The two sides of the Taiwan Straits then fell into a special state of protracted political confrontation, which resulted in the Taiwan question ever since.

The Taiwan question is an aftermath of China's civil war and China's internal affairs. Since 1949, although the mainland and Taiwan are yet to be reunified, the sovereignty and territory of China have never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan's status as part of China's territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.

One-China principle

The one-China principle has a clear and unambiguous meaning that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the Government of the PRC is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which undertook "to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and 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."

This resolution 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." This resolution has confirmed the one-China principle.

The one-China principle is the universal consensus of the international community. To date, 183 countries have established diplomatic relations with the PRC and they all acknowledge the one-China principle and are committed to handling their relations with Taiwan within the one-China principle framework.

Political commitments U.S. made on the Taiwan question

In 1972, the first joint statement outlining the basis of developing the China-U.S. relationship was signed in Shanghai. In the document, the U.S. acknowledged that there is only one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. Both sides agreed to respect each other's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 1979, China and the U.S. issued the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, in which the U.S. "recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China" and "acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is a part of China."

The two governments issued the third communique on August 17, 1982. Both sides also reaffirmed the statements made about the Taiwan issue in the previous communique. Washington declared its intent to gradually decrease its sale of arms to Taiwan.

These three joint communiques are the foundation for China and the U.S. to develop stable, sound and normal bilateral relations with the one-China principle being the centerpiece.