International

Taiwan’s status undetermined? A fallacy

Article by Yi Xin

Severing “diplomatic” ties with China’s Taiwan region, Nauru recently became the 183rd country to recognize the fact that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.

In some corners, however, this indisputable fact continues to run into denialism. Laura Rosenberger, chair of the “American Institute in Taiwan,” told reporters she thought Nauru’s move was “unfortunate” and “disappointing.” “U.N. Resolution 2758 did not make a determination on the status of Taiwan, did not preclude any countries from having diplomatic relationships with Taiwan and did not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the U.N. system,” she said.

Her smattering of international affairs is shocking.

In fact, Resolution 2758 definitively states that Taiwan “decides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”

Would the U.N. have expelled the representatives of a sovereign state?

In addition to delivering an emphatic conclusion, Resolution 2758 also represents a process during which any ambiguity about Taiwan’s status was removed. The minutes of debates leading to its adoption show that sponsors of the resolution urged UN General Assembly not to partition China’s territory just because the Chiang Kai-shek clique was entrenched in Taiwan region, and regarded the draft resolution as “a question of credentials,” i.e. who are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations, not about “admission of new Members to the United Nations.”

When some tried to smuggle “dual representation” into the draft resolution, they were met with strong opposition. Their motions were considered “illegal and clearly inconsistent with current reality, justice and the principles of the U.N. Charter.” With their votes for Resolution 2758, U.N. member states made it clear there are no “two Chinas,” or “one China, one Taiwan.”

Preceding Resolution 2758, the Cairo Declaration, and the Potsdam Proclamation, two milestone international legal instruments, also explicitly recognized Taiwan’s status as an inalienable part of China. In 1943, the leaders of China, the United States, and Britain issued the Cairo Declaration, which stated that all territories Japan stole from the Chinese, such as Taiwan region, shall be restored to China. The Potsdam Declaration of 1945 affirmed that the terms of the Cairo Declaration would be carried out.

Today, 183 countries recognize the truth about Taiwan’s status, including Rosenberger’s own country the United States, which pledged to the one-China principle in its joint communiques with China. Over the years, consecutive U.S. administrations have stated the U.S. opposition to Taiwan’s “independence.”

In the course of its millennia-long history, China was more than once engulfed in internal conflict. Yet in each case the Chinese people came together to reunify their country. It is a force not to be stopped by anyone or anything.

International

Washington DC Fifth Graders Learn About Barbados

Last Friday, a fifth-grade class from JC Nalle Elementary in Washington DC, visited Barbados’ Embassy in Washington as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP). The visit was the culmination of a series of sessions which started in November 2024.

The EAP is a global education programme that links fifth and sixth grade classes with embassies and other global entities to provide DC Public School students with a unique opportunity to expand their global awareness.

The class was initially visited by former teacher, now diplomat, First Secretary William Clarke and staffer, Elle Duguid of the embassy. Mr. Clarke and Ms. Duguid taught students general facts about Barbados including its location, history, government, and economy.

During a second visit in December, the students learned about cricket, ‘bajan’ dialect, the island’s festivals, including Crop Over, and also about celebrations held within Barbados.

For the third and fourth visits respectively, the students were informed about We Gatherin’ and Barbados’ geography, nature and landscape. The Embassy concluded its visits to the school with a presentation on climate vulnerability and sustainability in Barbados.

To cap the programme off, students visited the embassy to meet with Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States of America, Vic Fernandes, to whom they made a presentation on what they learned. The students performed a medley of skits and dances highlighting Barbados’ history and culture. After the presentation, Ambassador Fernandes hosted the students for lunch.

Next month, the JC Nalle Elementary students will participate in the EAP’s Mini United Nations simulation representing Barbados. There, the students will debate the important topic of climate vulnerability and deliver a final presentation showcasing what they learned throughout the programme. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States, Vic Fernandes (right), and staff of the Embassy of Barbados in Washington, D.C., pose with fifth graders of JC Nalle Elementary

International

CHINA ANNOUNCES VISA FREE TRAVEL FOR SOME LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES

China plans to expand its visa-free policy for five Latin American/#Caribbean countries and offer 3,500 scholarships and 10,000 training opportunities, as part of a five-programme plan to advance shared development and revitalisation with LAC countries. source Caribbean News UK

International

President Xi Jinping urges solidarity, deeper cooperation at China-CELAC meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is willing to strengthen solidarity with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and announced five major programs to jointly pursue development and revitalization with LAC countries on Tuesday.

The five programs, solidarity, development, civilization, peace, and people-to-people connectivity, were announced by Xi while delivering a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in Beijing.

On the solidarity program, Xi said China is willing to strengthen solidarity with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and continue to support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns to firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and international order underpinned by international law and to speak with one voice in international and regional affairs.

In the next three years, China will invite 300 members from political parties of CELAC member states every year to visit China to facilitate exchanges on national governance best practices, Xi said.

Regarding the development program, Xi said China is willing to work with LAC countries to implement the Global Development Initiative, resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure stable, unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, and promote an international environment of openness and cooperation.

Noting that the two sides should foster greater synergy between their development strategies and expand high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said China will import more quality products from LAC countries and encourage Chinese enterprises to expand their investment in the region.

On the civilization program, Xi called for the joint implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative. He said both sides should uphold the vision of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness between civilizations, champion humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and enhance China-LAC civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, including through a conference on China-LAC inter-civilizational dialogue.

For the peace program, Xi called for the joint implementation of the Global Security Initiative. He said both sides should cooperate more closely in disaster governance, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, anti-corruption, narcotics control, and combating transnational organized crime to safeguard security and stability in the region.

Regarding people-to-people connectivity, Xi said in the next three years, China will provide CELAC member states with 3,500 government scholarships, 10,000 training opportunities in China, 500 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, 300 training opportunities for poverty reduction professionals, and 1,000 funded placements through the Chinese Bridge program, initiate 300 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, and support CELAC member states in developing Chinese language education.

China has decided to offer a visa-free policy to five LAC countries and will expand the policy to cover more regional countries in due course, Xi said.

Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, the CELAC rotating chair, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, respectively, addressed the event.

The special representative for Yamandu Orsi, president of Uruguay and the incoming CELAC rotating chair, read out the president’s congratulatory letter.

Faced with a world full of uncertainties, LAC countries and China should work together to promote continuous new progress in building a community with a shared future, they said.

Both sides should respect each other and firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty and choosing their own development path, they said, calling for strengthening the synergy between the development strategies of LAC countries and the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, science and technology, new energy and education.

The two sides should also promote exchanges and dialogues among civilizations, safeguard the authority of the UN, support multilateralism and free trade, and oppose unilateralism, protectionism, power politics, and bullying to safeguard the common interests of the Global South, they added.

CAPTION: Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2025