Chinese Foreign Ministry: It is an ironclad fact that there is only one China, and Taiwan is part of it

It is an ironclad fact that cannot be distorted or tampered with: there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

Mao made the remarks in response to comments by some individuals in Japan who claimed that it was the Republic of China, not the People's Republic of China, that accepted Japan's surrender, and therefore the People's Republic of China has no right to discuss the Taiwan question.

"Those who make such claims either do not know the history or deliberately seek to distort it and disregard international law," Mao told a daily news briefing.

In 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender, in which it promised that it would faithfully fulfill the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation and unconditionally return Taiwan to China, Mao said, noting that China has resumed exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan and recovered Taiwan both in law and in practice.

"In 1949, the government of the People's Republic of China replaced the government of the Republic of China. This is a change of government in which China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China's sovereignty and inherent territorial boundaries stayed unchanged," she said.

"As a natural result, the government of the People's Republic of China fully enjoys and exercises China's sovereignty, including sovereignty over the Taiwan region," Mao said.

Mao added that the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement states that the Government of Japan recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal Government of China.

"There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is an ironclad fact that cannot be distorted or tampered with," the spokesperson said.

(With input from Xinhua)