One-China principle unshakable, historical trend of reunification unstoppable: spokesman

The one-China principle is unshakable and the historical trend of reunification is unstoppable, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Wednesday in response to recent wrong remarks by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te.

Lai said at the annual meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) on Tuesday that the Chinese mainland has wrongly interpreted the United Nations General Assembly resolution 2758 to limit Taiwan's international participation and build a basis for so-called "military aggression against Taiwan".

Asked to comment on Lai's statement, Lin said at a regular press conference, held on Wednesday in Beijing, that "there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is an undeniable objective fact."

"Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly fundamentally resolved the issue of the representation of all China, including Taiwan, in the UN. It made it clear that there is only one China in the world, that Taiwan is part of China, and that Taiwan is not a state. The resolution clarifies that there is only one seat for China in the United Nations, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of China in the UN. There is no 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan'. The UN and its specialized agencies all follow the one-China principle, and the official documents of the UN refer to Taiwan as 'Taiwan, Province of China'. The legal opinion issued by the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat also stressed that 'Taiwan' as a province of China with no separate status' and that 'authorities in Taipei are not considered to...enjoy any form of governmental status'," he said.

"UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 once again reaffirms the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a widely recognized fundamental norm of international relations and a general consensus of the international community. How can there be any talk of a 'misinterpretation'? How can there be any talk of 'sovereign status' for Taiwan as it is part of China? Taiwan's participation in activities of international organizations must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle, so how can there be any talk of 'international participation'?" said Lin.

"I'd like to reiterate that the one-China principle is unshakable, the historical trend of reunification is unstoppable, and 'Taiwan independence' secession will lead to a dead end. No matter what the Lai Ching-te administration says or does, it will not change the objective fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, nor will it shake the legal status of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, nor will it stop the historical trend of China's eventual and inevitable reunification," said the spokesman.

One-China principle unshakable, historical trend of reunification unstoppable: spokesman

Super typhoon Yagi that swept through Vietnam's northern mountainous localities over the weekend killed at least 21 people and injured 229 others, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Sunday evening.

The fatalities include five from the coastal province of Quang Ninh, two from Hai Phong city, one from Hai Duong, one from capital Hanoi, four from Hoa Binh, one from Yen Bai, one from Lang Son and six from Lao Cai.

Natural disasters, mainly floods and landslides, left 147 people dead and missing, and injured 104 others in Vietnam in the first eight months of this year, according to the country's General Statistics Office.

In the aftermath of Yagi, over 2,800 fallen trees disrupted traffic on the streets of Hanoi.

According to local weather report, the city is expected to see more rain in the coming days, adding to the challenge of its clean-up work.

Typhoon Yagi kills 21, injures 229 in northern Vietnam