On 7 November, 2025, an article titled “One-China Principle: The Cornerstone of Rapid and Steady Development of China-Malawi Relations” by H.E. Lu Xu, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, was published in the Nation and Daily Times, elaborating on the historical context of the Taiwan question and the significance of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, refuting the fallacy of the so-called “undetermined status of Taiwan.” The following is the full text of the article:

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration to China. On 25 Oct, a reception marking the first Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration was held in China, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of all Chinese people including the Taiwan compatriots to uphold the one-China principle and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also fully reflects the aspiration of the people and the determination of the nation.

The fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory has a sound basis in history. China’s sovereignty over Taiwan is beyond doubt. However, a small number of countries show a disregard for historical merits of the issues, as well as facts and truth. They profess that the status of Taiwan has yet to be determined, distorting and challenging UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. Such acts blatantly challenge the authority of the United Nations and the post-war international order, and are utterly absurd and dangerous. In order to clear up confusion and promote right conceptions, I would like to share with friends from all walks of life in Malawi the ins and outs of the Taiwan question, and explain why we must firmly defend UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and adhere to the one-China principle.

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. In 1894, Japan launched a war of aggression against China. The defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. This precisely demonstrates that Taiwan was already part of the Chinese territory prior to 1895. During the WWII, a series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, were signed by relevant countries. They have all clearly affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, making the restoration of Taiwan to China become an important part of the outcomes of WWII victory and post-war international order.

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 new government replaced the previous regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China’s sovereignty and inherent territory did not change. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China’s full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan.

At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations 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 who was the leader of the previous regime 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”.

Recently, certain countries deliberately distort and challenge UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, rehash the fallacy that Taiwan’s status is “undetermined”, attempting to expand Taiwan’s so-called “international space”. This not only endangers China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also tramples on the victorious outcome of WWII and undermines the post-war international order. Such act aiming to turn back the wheel of history is doomed to failure.

UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 has exerted extensive and profound political influence in the practice of international relations, promoting the one-China principle to become a fundamental norm in international relations and a widely shared consensus within the international community. All official UN documents referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China.” It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN Secretariat that “the United Nations considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate status” and  “the ‘authorities’ in ‘Taipei’ are not considered to ... enjoy any form of government status.” So far, 183 countries in the world have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

This year marks the 18th anniversary of China-Malawi diplomatic relations. On the increasingly solid foundation of the one-China principle as the cornerstone of bilateral relations, cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results, and people-to-people exchanges have become increasingly close. China highly commends the firm adherence to the one-China principle and consistent support for China’s reunification by overall sectors of the Republic of Malawi. We stand ready to work with Malawi to continuously enhance political mutual trust, deepen the friendship between the two nations, firmly support each other on issues bearing on our core interests and major concerns. The two sides should jointly defend the post-war international order and the authority of the United Nations, uphold the one-China principle and other fundamental norms of international relations, so as to promote the steady and long-term development of China-Malawi strategic partnership.