China Rejects Japan's Claim on the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and Taiwan Visits

China's Response to Japan's Claim on the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement

In response to the Japanese government's recent claim that the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement lacks legal binding force and doesn't restrict local Japanese legislators' visits to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized the statement's significance and legal implications.

Mao highlighted the 1978 Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship, where both countries confirmed the Joint Statement as the foundation for their peaceful and friendly relations. She stressed that the treaty, ratified by both countries' legislative bodies, legally affirms the principles and content of the Joint Statement, making it legally binding.

Mao reiterated China's stance on Taiwan, emphasizing that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory. She underscored the Chinese government's opposition to official exchanges between countries with diplomatic relations with China and the Taiwan region. The one-China principle, she emphasized, is the political foundation of China-Japan relations.

Mao recalled the 1972 Joint Statement, where Japan acknowledged the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and recognized Taiwan as an integral part of China's territory. She also pointed to Japan's adherence to the Potsdam Proclamation's Article 8, which reaffirms the Cairo Declaration's call for returning territories stolen from China, including Taiwan, to China.

Mao emphasized the legal binding force of these documents, stating that they not only confirm Taiwan's belonging to China but also serve as the legal basis for ending the state of war and establishing the post-war international order in the Asia-Pacific.

She expressed concern over the Japanese side's attempt to obscure historical facts on the Taiwan question, viewing it as a violation of Japan's commitment to the one-China principle and a challenge to the political foundation of China-Japan relations. Mao urged the Japanese side to adhere to the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, fulfill their legal obligations, and take concrete actions to uphold the one-China principle.