Question: What are the principles for the Chinese government in handling Taiwan-related affairs in international affairs?
Spokesperson: According to international law, a sovereign state can only be represented by a single central government. As a part of China, Taiwan has no right to represent China in the international community, nor can it establish diplomatic relations or develop relations of an official nature with foreign countries. All countries maintaining diplomatic relations with China have, in conformity with international law and the one-China principle, undertaken in formal agreement or understanding with the Chinese government not to establish any ties of an official nature with Taiwan. They should abide by the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and refrain from entering into any form of military alliance with Taiwan, providing arms to Taiwan or helping it produce arms in any form or under any pretext.
Taiwan is ineligible for membership of the United Nations and other international organizations whose membership is confined to sovereign states. The United Nations is an inter-governmental international organization composed of sovereign states. After the restoration of the lawful rights of the PRC in the UN, the issue of China’s representation in the UN was resolved once and for all and Taiwan’s re-entry became totally out of the question. All UN members should adhere to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and related UN resolutions, abide by the norms governing international relations, including mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and never, in any form, support Taiwan's joining the UN or other international organizations whose membership is confined to sovereign states.
On the basis of the one-China principle, the Chinese government has made arrangements for Taiwan's participation in some inter-governmental international organizations which accept region membership in an acceptable manner based on agreement according to the nature, regulations and actual conditions of these organizations. However, these are only ad hoc arrangements and cannot constitute a model applicable to other inter-governmental international organizations or international events.
The Chinese government adheres to the one-China principle in dealing with Taiwan's external contacts. The Taiwan authorities have spared no effort to promote "pragmatic diplomacy" in the international arena and enlarge their "international space of survival," with the aim of creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", which is, without doubt, firmly rejected by the Chinese government. Meanwhile, considering the needs of Taiwan's social-economic development and the actual welfare of the compatriots in Taiwan, the Chinese government has no objection to Taiwan's non-governmental economic and cultural contacts with foreign countries. On the premise of one China, it has adopted many flexible measures to make Taiwan's economic, trade and cultural contacts with foreign countries more convenient. As a matter of fact, Taiwan has maintained extensive economic, trade and cultural relations with many countries and regions in the world. The one-China principle has never prevented the Taiwan compatriots from engaging in non-governmental international exchanges or affected the needs of Taiwan's normal economic, trade and cultural activities.
