Photo:VCG
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with US President Donald J. Trump on the phone on Monday evening. Building on the reaffirmation of the Busan meeting's consensus and acknowledging the steady and positive trajectory in China-US relations, the two sides exchanged positions on the Taiwan question. President Xi underscored that Taiwan's return to China is an integral part of the post-war international order. President Trump said that China was a big part of the victory of WWII and that the US understands how important the Taiwan question is to China. These remarks by the two heads of state have drawn particular attention from international public opinion. At a time when the post-war order is being challenged by certain countries and new destabilizing factors are emerging that could affect regional peace, this phone call shows that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-US communication and consensus on key principled matters carry important significance.
Recently, the Sanae Takaichi administration in Japan has deliberately provoked tensions on the Taiwan question, becoming a notable risk factor for regional peace. Tokyo is attempting to use Taiwan to contain China, pushing international discourse to detach the Taiwan question from the post-war order and repackage it as a so-called "regional security issue." At a deeper level, Japan seeks to use the Taiwan question to break through the structural constraints it faces as a defeated country in military and security policy, thereby paving the way for Japan to break through the pacifist constitution. The danger of Takaichi's remarks lies not only in directly impacting China's core interests, but also in undermining the foundations of the post-war international order and injecting great uncertainty into regional stability.
Taiwan's return to China was both a result of the victory in World War II and a key component of the post-war international order. The Cairo Declaration stated in clear terms that all the territories Japan has stolen from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. In 1945, the Potsdam Proclamation, which was issued by China, the US and the UK, and later joined by the Soviet Union, reaffirmed that "the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." In September of the same year, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender, pledging to "faithfully fulfill the obligations" laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation.
By crossing the red line on the Taiwan question, Takaichi is openly challenging the post-war international order established on the basis of the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, as well as the internationally recognized one-China principle. Allowing Japan to open a breach at this "point of origin" of the post-war order regarding the Taiwan question would effectively mean tolerating Japan's denial of the enormous sacrifices made in WWII by the anti-fascist allies, including China and the US. This is something all peace-loving people around the world will never accept.
What is alarming is that some political forces in Japan are pushing an alternative narrative - using the so-called "San Francisco system" to rewrite history, and hollowing out the one-China principle in the name of "regional security." This is not only a denial of history and international law, but also a denial of the institutional foundations that have supported 80 years of post-war peace. If Japan continues sliding down the path of historical revisionism and military expansion, it will once again become a source of instability in the Asia-Pacific.
Some in Japan mistakenly believe that US backing allows them to act recklessly toward China, or that promoting "using Taiwan to contain China" will win American favor. This is a grave miscalculation. What Japan's right-wing forces are challenging is not only the steadfast resolve of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also the post-war order jointly established and upheld by the entire international community, especially the WWII victors, including the US.
In this context, the significance of communication between the Chinese and US leaders becomes increasingly prominent. The current world order is undergoing profound changes, making it more relevant than ever to safeguard and consolidate the results of WWII victory and the UN-centered international order. This order has not only established a framework for lasting global peace after the war but has also created a favorable environment for the development and prosperity of all nations, including both China and the US. It is under this order that the international community has been able to effectively respond to numerous challenges and achieve unprecedented progress and development. Therefore, all responsible members of the international community, especially major powers, should work together to uphold this hard-won post-war order and remain highly vigilant against any attempts to deny history or overturn post-war arrangements.
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 Taiwan's Restoration. The provocative actions of Japan regarding the Taiwan question are particularly striking and serve as a warning to the entire world. Peace in the Asia-Pacific region is hard-won, and no country should use its own political interests to compromise regional stability. The international community must unite more closely to firmly uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and resolutely resist any actions that seek to undermine the post-war international order. Japan must recognize that challenging this international order leads nowhere, and interfering in the Taiwan question is unlikely to yield any so-called "strategic breakthroughs." We urge Japan to earnestly confront and deeply reflect on its history of aggression, to adopt a responsible attitude and take concrete actions to gain the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community, and to completely abandon any attempts to turn back the wheel of history.