On 29 October 2021, an article titled “Taiwan is a Province of China” by H.E. Liu Hongyang, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, was published on Daily Times, the leading newspaper in Malawi. Following is the full text of the article:

    The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations. On 25 October 1971, the UN General Assembly at its 26th Session adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority. The Resolution decided to restore all lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the UN. To commemorate the historical moment, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the conference marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the UN on 25 October 2021, together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

    Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, and stressed that the past five decades since New China restored its lawful seat in the UN have witnessed China’s peaceful development and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity. China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development and always be a builder of world peace. China will stay committed to the path of reform and opening-up and always be a contributor to global development. China will stay committed to the path of multilateralism and always be a defender of the international order. China will be happy to work with all countries under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, advocate the common values of humanity, and practice true multilateralism. Let us stand on the right side of history and the side of human progress, and work tirelessly for the lasting and peaceful development of the world and for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

    In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that during the past 50 years since China’s restoration of its lawful seat in the UN, China has been making increasingly significant contributions to the United Nations. It is a reliable partner of the UN, and a major pillar of international cooperation. He thanks China for its significant role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, eradicating poverty and realizing green and low-carbon energy development. He stressed that the United Nations will remain as China’s staunch partner on the path of jointly building a more just and sustainable future.

    The restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the UN 50 years ago marked the return of the Chinese people, or one-fourth of the world’s population, back to the UN stage. There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. This is a basic fact recognized by the international community. In order to further deepen the understanding of the readers on facts of the Taiwan question, I would like to reemphasize that “Taiwan is a province of China”.

    1.There is only one China in the world, of which Taiwan is an inalienable part. Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. The Chinese people were the earliest developers of Taiwan. The historical document “Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer” compiled 1,700 years ago gave an account of it. This was the world's earliest written account of Taiwan. Started from the Yuan Dynasty (1206 AD to 1368 AD) the Chinese governments of different periods set up administrative bodies to exercise effective jurisdiction over Taiwan. After the Chinese people’s victory in the war against Japanese aggression in 1945, the Kuomintang clique headed by Chiang Kai-shek flouted the fundamental national interests and launched an all-out anti-popular civil war relying on U.S. support. The Chinese people were compelled to respond with a people’s liberation war and finally overthrew the government of the “Republic of China”. Then the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. A group of military and political officials of the Kuomintang forces took refuge in Taiwan and created the temporary situation between the two sides of the Straits. Taiwan and the mainland of China have been in a state of temporary division, but this has not changed the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, which is consensus among the international community.

    2.As a province of China, Taiwan is not eligible to become a member of the UN. The UN is an intergovernmental international organization composed of sovereign states. The Resolution 2758 has solved once and for all the issues of China’s representation in the UN and its system in political, economic legal and procedural terms. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China in the UN. The system, agencies and the Secretariat of the UN should abide by the one-China principle and UNGA Resolution 2758 when dealing with Taiwan-related affairs. And in the "Country and Region Directory" of the United Nations, Taiwan is categorized as "Taiwan Province of China". This has shown that as a province of China, Taiwan is not qualified to join the UN at all. The Chinese government stands firm on the one-China principle, and rejects “two Chinas”, “one China, one Taiwan” and “independence of Taiwan”.

    3.China’s position of upholding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and adhering to the one-China principle is not to be challenged. The Taiwan question arose out of the weakness and chaos of the Chinese nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality. This is determined by the general trend of Chinese history, but more importantly, it is the common will of all Chinese people. The Chinese nation has an honourable tradition of opposing division and safeguarding unity. “Taiwan independence” in all its forms is doomed to fail. The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. I would like to emphasize that China must and shall be reunified. And I am convinced that the just cause of opposing division and realizing national reunification will as always be understood and supported by governments and people across the world including Malawi.