Taipei [Taiwan], July 23 : Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday reiterated that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has never exerted control over Taiwan, calling it an "historical fact that cannot be disputed."
As reported by the Central News Agency (CNA), the MAC responded to a commentary in the People's Daily by Chinese scholar Wang Yingjin, who criticised President Lai Ching-te for asserting that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan for even a single day. In a speech on June 22, Lai referenced the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which stated that Japan renounced all claims to Taiwan and the Penghu Islands after World War II but did not designate a recipient, indicating that Taiwan was not transferred to the PRC.
Wang, who leads the Cross-Strait Relations Research Center at Renmin University of China, argued that since 1949, the PRC has exercised sovereignty over Taiwan through political, military, and diplomatic means. He maintained that international organisations frequently consult Beijing regarding Taiwan's participation in global matters, which he interprets as evidence of the PRC's representative authority over the island, according to the CNA report.
Wang also mentioned instances like China's implementation of anti-secession laws and patrols near Kinmen in 2024 as indications of legal or administrative control over Taiwan.
Chen Shih-min, an associate professor at National Taiwan University, refuted Wang's assertions, labelling them as misleading and unconvincing, and pointed out that the global community does not widely recognise Taiwan as part of China. Chen referred to studies that show that out of 183 countries with diplomatic relations with China, around 66 per cent of joint communiques do not acknowledge or accept the notion that Taiwan is part of China, while only about 33 per cent explicitly recognise it.
The MAC reaffirmed its position that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan and highlighted that this is a historical truth. Lai's statement from June 22, which is part of a recent initiative to address the challenges faced by Taiwan and outline governmental responses, has faced significant backlash from Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory, the CNA report indicated.