By Zhang Zhen
Consul General of P.R. China in Cebu
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. Looking back on those arduous years, China was the first to suffer fascist aggression and waged the longest resistance.
From 1931 to 1945, under ferocious aggression, with 35 million military and non-military casualties, China tied down nearly 70 percent of the Japanese Army, and thus helped Allied forces in other theaters gain vital strategic opportunities. Thanks to this strategic contribution, China became a founder of the United Nations (UN), a signatory to the UN Charter, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The founding of the United Nations stood as the most crucial postwar decision of the international community. An integral part of the fruits of the victory of World War II (WWII) and the postwar international order was Taiwan’s return to China.
The facts on the Taiwan question are crystal-clear. In the late 19th century, Japan forcibly seized Taiwan through war of aggression. For 50 years, the Taiwanese people never ceased resisting Japanese occupation. The Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation explicitly mandated that Taiwan, which Japan has stolen, be returned to China. These instruments with legal effect under international law have all affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan and become part of the postwar international order.
Consequently, challenging the one-China principle means defying the UN’s authority and undermining the postwar order. The Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, unequivocally recognizes the People’s Republic of China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. Since then, the only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is “Taiwan, Province of China.”
As the only permanent member of the UN Security Council still seeking full reunification, China will harm no country’s legitimate rights and interests in this process. It will only create more development opportunities for all countries and add more positive energy to world prosperity and stability.
Eighty years ago, China co-drafted the UN Charter and shaped key provisions, including: trusteeship rules emphasizing independence for colonized peoples. 80 years later, today China champions the UN’s “equal rights of nations” by creating inclusive alternatives such as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for funding Global South infrastructure, Brics New Development Bank for funding projects in clean energy and digital infrastructure, etc. Belt and Road cooperation are spanning 150+ countries including Southeast Asia, which has delivered tangible benefits to local peoples.
True tribute to honor anti-fascist martyrs and their legacy lies not in ceremonies alone, but in our resolute acts safeguarding the fruits of the victory of WWII and the postwar international order, and also in our daily commitment to make war unthinkable for generations to come.
China, having emerged from the flames of war, remains steadfast in upholding fairness, justice, development and progress for humanity. Looking ahead, China will continue partnering with the Association of South East Asian nations to build what Chinese President Xi Jinping calls “a community with a shared future for mankind.”