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
Scenic spots were shut, crops were harvested and residents were evacuated to temporary shelters on Sunday in east China's Zhejiang Province, as the East China Sea coastal province took proactive steps to safeguard local residential communities before the arrival of Typhoon Bebica.
Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th this year, made landfall near the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai on Monday morning.
Before its landfall, the scenic spot of Haitian Yizhou (which literally means "Ocean-Heaven Shoal"), nestled on the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge, was abruptly closed on Sunday morning.
Unwary travelers who ventured there were promptly advised to depart, with local authorities also temporarily blocking access roads.
In Huzhou, a city of Zhejiang, gusts whipped up waves as high as two meters along the south bank of Lake Taihu on Sunday afternoon, prompting the closure of the scenic area and the safe evacuation of visitors.
Similar protective measures were enacted in Wenzhou, where a beach was closed.
To protect mature farm crops from the onslaught of Bebica, efforts have been made throughout Zhejiang to harvest those that are ripe for picking. In the city of Pinghu, farmers were seen toiling diligently to gather their ripe yields before the arrival of the typhoon.
Greenhouses across the region were reinforced to resist the battering winds and heavy rains, with meticulous drainage preparations underway to protect from waterlogging.
In Tongxiang City, farmers hastened the persimmon harvest to prevent fruit loss.
"For us, the top priority is to finish persimmons harvest before the typhoon arrives. Persimmons are heavy, and once the rain comes, they may easily fall onto the ground," said Yang Mengxian, a farmer.
The aquaculture community also sprang into action, accelerating the harvest of aquatic goods and fortifying their dwellings in key bases like Ninghai and Cixi.
As a precaution, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a directive to enhance coordination of cold storage facilities for storing freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, aiming to minimize the impact of the typhoon on agricultural production.
Temporary shelters have been put into use in Ningbo to house residents evacuated from vulnerable or dilapidated structures prone to geological disasters and flash floods.
As the Mid-autumn Festival draws near, a time for family reunions, evacuees were not only provided with essential supplies but also traditional mooncakes.
An indoor stadium of a local primary school, which has been repurposed as a temporary shelter for the first time, started to receive local residents evacuated.
"People keeps coming to this site, and locals prefers staying at this shelter when the typhoon hits. Once the rainstorm subsides, we will send them back home safe and sound," said Zhou Shanhua, manager of the temporary shelter.
To cope with Typhoon Bebica, Daishan County of Zhejiang's Zhoushan City has set up 14 temporary shelters.
The largest venue, situated within a local school, has already received over 1,500 evacuees transported from a nearby island, ensuring their safety and well-being.
East China's Zhejiang takes precautions against Typhoon Bebica
