"Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives" prove Taiwan inalienable part of China: spokeswoman

The "Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives", which was recently listed as China's documentary heritage, are a strong proof that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

On Monday, also the International Archives Day, the National Archives Administration of China announced the sixth batch of 52 entries to the China Archives Heritage List, with one notable addition to this year's list is the "Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives", which records the history of compatriots from China's Taiwan region fighting against the Japanese invaders on the front line on the Chinese mainland.

On July 7, 1937, Japanese soldiers attacked Chinese forces at the Lugou Bridge, marking the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's national resistance against the Japanese invaders.

The Taiwan Volunteer Team was established in Jinhua City of east China's Zhejiang Province on Feb 22, 1939. It was the largest, most influential and longest-lasting force of anti-Japanese fighters in Taiwan.

The archives contain 625 original records of the Taiwan Volunteer Team's anti-Japanese activities from 1937 to 1946, including various orders and instructions, letters of approval, statistical charts, historical photos, and newspaper and periodical materials.

"This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan. The inclusion of the 'Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives' in the sixth batch of the China Archives Heritage List is very significant. The Taiwan Volunteer Team was a team composed of Taiwanese compatriots during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which directly participated in the resistance. The archives are currently preserved in the Second Historical Archives of China, the Fujian Provincial Archives, the Nanping Municipal Archives, and the Wuyishan Municipal Archives," Zhu introduced.

"The 625 original documents serve as irrefutable material evidence, accurately and fully documenting the entire history of the Taiwan Volunteer Team -- from its formation to wartime activities and its return to Taiwan -- under the principle of 'Defending the Motherland, Recovering Taiwan'. These records restore the shared struggle of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits against foreign aggression and the recovery of Taiwan. They powerfully prove that Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China and that people across the Straits are bound by blood and a shared destiny," said Zhu.

"We hope that our Taiwan compatriots can work with us in telling the inspiring story of the 'Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives', carry forward the spirit of the War of Resistance, stay committed to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, resolutely oppose external interference and separatist activities aimed at Taiwan secession, so as to firmly protect the common home of the Chinese nation, and work together to create a bright future of national reunification and national rejuvenation," added Zhu.

"Taiwan Volunteer Team Archives" prove Taiwan inalienable part of China: spokeswoman

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday said Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the island country provided "security services" to Venezuela in exchange for oil.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump suggested Cuba should make a deal with Washington.

"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba -- Zero! I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela," Trump said.

However, Trump did not specify the terms of a deal or the consequences Cuba could face.

Diaz-Canel said on X that the United States has "no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in anything", adding that the U.S. side turns everything, even human lives, into a business.

Diaz-Canel said that the United States is "hysterical" against the Caribbean nation because of the sovereign decision of the Cuban people to choose their political model.

"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic hardships we suffer should be ashamed and keep quiet," he said. "Because they know and recognize that they are the result of the draconian measures of extreme asphyxiation that the United States has imposed on us for six decades."

Cuba does not attack or threaten other countries, said Diaz-Canel, adding that the country is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood".

Also on Sunday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the United States behaves like a criminal and unchecked hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world.

In an X post, Rodriguez said Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from markets willing to export it and develop trade relations without interference or subordination to unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States.

Venezuela on Sunday reiterated its "historic stance" toward Cuba, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of "fraternity, solidarity, cooperation and complementarity", despite mounting pressure from Washington to isolate the Caribbean nation.

The Venezuelan government released a statement underscoring its support for the free exercise of self-determination and sovereignty of peoples, which it considers fundamental pillars of international relations.

It emphasized its adherence to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, highlighting the longstanding and evolving ties between Venezuela and Cuba.

The Venezuelan government stressed that relations between states should be governed by the principles of non-intervention, sovereign equality and self-determination, and that "political and diplomatic dialogue" is the only viable path to "peacefully resolve disputes of any kind".

Cuban president says ready to defend Cuba, refutes Trump's accusations