China Warns Taiwan: "Independence Impossible in Past and Future"

Foreign Minister Wang Emphasizes at 'Cairo Declaration' Site
"Those Seeking Taiwan Independence Will Be Severely Punished"

In the Taiwanese presidential election, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates for independence, won, while Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, raised a warning voice, saying "Taiwan independence is impossible." Minister Wang emphasized that regardless of the election results, the "One China" principle remains unchanged and separatists will be severely punished.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 14th, Wang, who is visiting Egypt, met with reporters in Cairo and said, "Taiwan independence was impossible in the past and is even more impossible in the future," adding, "Anyone pursuing Taiwan independence will be severely punished according to history and law." He then dismissed the Taiwan regional election as a matter of China's local affairs, emphasizing, "Regardless of the results, there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is part of China, and this fact cannot be changed, nor can the international community's consensus on the One China principle be altered."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Cairo, where Minister Wang made these remarks, is also the place where representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China gathered in 1943 to announce a declaration returning Taiwan to China. Wang Yi stressed, "The Potsdam Declaration Article 8, issued afterward, stipulates 'to implement the provisions of the Cairo Declaration,' and Japan accepted this," adding, "This document, which has international legal effect, constitutes an essential part of the postwar international order and establishes the historical and legal basis for Taiwan being Chinese territory."

After the election results were announced, Chinese state media rushed to report, citing experts who called for strengthening warnings against separatists. Xin Chang, Deputy Director of the American Studies Center at Fudan University, told the state-run Global Times (GT), "Under the DPP's administration, the risk of provocations by Taiwan separatists and increased cross-strait tensions is greater, so China must strengthen its security measures against the United States regarding these provocations that could lead to conflict." He added, "We must prepare for increased U.S. interference in the near future."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Chinese experts maintained a critical view of the DPP's presidential election vote share (40.05%) failing to exceed half, and the legislative election results where the party won 51 out of 113 seats, failing to secure a majority. Deputy Director Xin pointed out, "The significant decrease in legislative seats is evidence that the DPP's governance has disappointed the people of Taiwan." Chang Lichi, a researcher at Xiamen Huachao University, emphasized to the Global Times, "Some public opinion in Taiwan opposes the DPP's policies that have caused tensions with the mainland (China) in recent years and the incompetence and corruption of the authorities that led to economic recession."

The People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, published Wang Yi's Cairo remarks on page 3. It also reported the official stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which opposed the United States' congratulatory statement on the Taiwan election results, saying it "sent the wrong signal to separatist forces."

The front-page headline article of the People's Daily on the same day covered Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the Central Political and Legal Work Conference held in Beijing on the 13th and 14th, emphasizing the study of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and the Party's central mission. President Xi stated at the meeting, "We must firmly safeguard national security, enhance political insight and discernment, and prevent and resolve major security risks."