The US must stop interfering in Taiwan

If historians want to write the history of American aggressions around the world, they might with no trouble pen a long book of history on the topic. 

However, the US claims itself as the supreme custodian of democracy and human rights in the world. The superpower never sees 'the blood of humanity on its hands. The successive US administrations have long been charging 'the wild horses of their narrowed interests' to trample the untiring global hopes for freedom and rights to live and die in peace. Taiwan is one of the glowing examples of the US carelessness about global peace and how it indiscriminately tramples the principles of international relations.

In a recent development, the US has approved a support contract with Taiwan aimed at boosting the missile defense systems of the Chinese island. The funds would be used to 'sustain, maintain, and improve' the Patriot missile defense system of Taiwan. This is the second incident of selling arms to Taiwan under the Biden administration as it approved its first arms sale to the island in August last year.

The US has been selling arms to Taiwan since 1979. The US also operates a de facto embassy in Taipei called the American Institute in Taiwan. It also operates a de facto consulate in Kaohsiung called the American Institute in Taiwan Kaohsiung Branch Office. The US also facilitates Taiwan to operate several diplomatic missions in its territory in the name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.

However, the US has no legitimate rights to have and maintain such cooperation and dealings with Taiwan as Washington has started its diplomatic relations with Beijing by accepting the universal truth that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. The US has, in three Joint US-China Communiqués, acknowledged that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The US attaches great importance to its relations with China and reiterates that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, interfering in China's internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan.

The US acceptance of the one-China policy is just standing on the right side of history as the island of Taiwan is historically an inalienable part of China. Never has Taiwan been a sovereign state in recorded history. The island is referred to as the Taiwan Province in the constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC). As the preceding republic, China has inherently owned the province per its pre-1949 boundaries.

Moreover, in line with the provisions of international law and regulations, the Chinese claim over Taiwan is also bonafide and legitimate. The world has also recognized that the island is an inseparable part of China. The United Nations (UN) has adopted a resolution to accept the legitimate claim of China over Taiwan.

On October 25, 1971, the 26th session of the UN General Assembly passed Resolution No. 2758. The resolution announced in clear and definite language that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China. The UN General Assembly recognizes that the representative of the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal representative of China in the United Nations and that the People's Republic of China is one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and decides to restore all rights to the People's Republic of China and recognize the representatives of its government as the sole legal representatives of China in the United Nations Organizations.

On July 23, 2007, then secretary-general of the UN Ban Ki-moon rejected Taiwan's membership bid to "join the UN under the name of Taiwan"; citing Resolution 2758 as acknowledging that Taiwan is part of China. The UN is an international organization composed of sovereign states. Taiwan as a province of China is completely not qualified and has no right to participate in the global body.

But in defiance of its promises and provisions of international laws and treaties, the successive US administrations have unfortunately continued maintaining informal and unofficial relations with the Taiwan authorities eating their own words given to China. Many analysts termed the relations just as immoral adultery. The US is engaged in such an illicit relationship as the superpower wants to contain the rise of China using the authorities of Taiwan. Under the auspices of the US, the authorities have also kept their diplomatic efforts to get recognition as a sovereign territory from different countries. They are even trying to cash in on the pandemic to get into some international organizations and agencies.

In a counter and legitimate move, China seems to have taken the Taiwan issue as the bottom line of its diplomacy. China has no option for compromising on the issue of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. China, therefore, builds cooperation with every country based on the understanding of the bottom line-- the Taiwan issue.

As a result, every friend and partner of China always remains very cautious and sincere when it comes to dealing with Taiwan. They always respect this bottom line of Chinese diplomacy. However, a few numbers of countries tried to have a foot in both camps, maintaining deep relations with China and simultaneously colluding with Taiwan, in the past. The two-faced countries finally failed to remain in the good books of China, let alone to be its true and trusted friends.

In the changing circumstances of the polarized world, Taiwan has been the litmus test for becoming a true and sincere friend of China over the years. Even the ranges of partnership with China widely vary from country to country depending on the test. The global circumstances have left China with no option but to make Taiwan a more serious issue when it comes to building and forging ahead cooperation with any country from any region on the planet. As a result, China's legitimate stand and cause over the issue has further been bolstered around the world.

Against such backdrops, the US has intensified its illegitimate cooperation with Taiwan. The US leaders have recently ramped up their pro-Taiwan and anti-China rhetoric. But analysts think that the US wants to timid China by creating war hysteria in the region. But the prudent leadership of China has been moving ahead with very measured and far-sighted diplomacy.

Since the very beginning of the issue, the world conscience stands by China. There is no denying that Taiwan is an integral part of China. By forging corporations and maintaining adultery-like relations with Taiwan, the US has been eating its own words and stood against the global stance in favor of China affirmed in the UN. Analysts think the US has long been interfering in the internal affairs of China and violating the sovereignty of China by siding with Taiwan. Hence the US must stop interfering in Taiwan, which will safeguard the greater interests of the region and the world.

The author Md Enamul Hassan is a news editor at the China Media Group (CMG) in Beijing, China. 

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website. The article was firstly published on Bangladesh Post.