Ambassador Qin Huasun, China's permanent representative to the UN, sent a letter on July 22 to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, refuting attempts to split China by Nicaragua and eight other countries.

On July 14, Nicaragua and eight other countries addressed a letter to Kofi Annan in which they requested inscription on the agenda of the coming 52nd session of the General Assembly of an item of the so-called "necessity to review Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of the General Assembly of the United Nations due to fundamental change in the international situation and two governments co-existing across the Taiwan Straits."

Qin said that the letter and its annexes of Nicaragua and eight other countries "distort facts in a brazen attempt to make use of the august organization of the United Nations to carry out plots aimed at splitting a sovereign state and creating 'two Chinas,' 'one China, one Taiwan' or 'one country, two governments.'"

"This has not only seriously encroached upon China's sovereignty and grossly interfered in its internal affairs, but also willfully trampled upon the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations Charter and Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of the General Assembly, at which the Chinese government and people express their utmost indignation and condemnation," Qin said in his letter.

The Chinese government and people are firmly opposed to any such illegal activities against the spirit of the Charter by any country or person under whatever pretext and strongly urge Nicaragua and a very small number of other countries to redress their erroneous acts immediately, he added.

As is known to all, Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times. To date, 159 countries have established diplomatic relations with China. They all recognize that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China in its entirety and that Taiwan is part of China, he said.

Though the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have been in a temporary state of separation since October 1949, he said, the status of Taiwan as part of the territory of the People's Republic of China has never changed, nor has the Government of the People's Republic of China ever given up its jurisdiction over Taiwan.

"No change in Taiwan's social, economic and political situation can change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, that Taiwan is a province of China and the Taiwan authorities are a local authority of China. "

Qin Huasun stressed that the restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China and the expulsion of the Taiwan authorities from the United Nations are two indivisible aspects of one question.

In his letter he reviewed the adoption of the historically significant Resolution 2758 (XXVI), which clearly and unequivocally "recognized that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations and that the People's Republic of China is one of the five permanent representatives of the Security Council" and decides to restore all rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations and expel the representatives of Taiwan from the United Nations.

"Without expelling the Taiwan authorities from the United Nations, it would have been impossible to properly resolve China's representation at the United Nations," he said.

The resolution has reaffirmed the "one China" principle, thus settling once and for all and in a just manner the question of China's representation at the United Nations. It not only foiled the plot by a very small number of countries to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" in the United Nations then, but has also ruled out for good the possibility of such a plot achieving its evil purpose. The resolution which has reflected the Purposes and Principles of the Charter as well as the desire of an overwhelming majority of countries of the United Nations is a victory of justice, he said.

However, since 1993, Nicaragua and a very small number of other member states, moving against the historical trend at the beck and call of the Taiwan authorities, have gone so far as to challenge Resolution 2758 (XXVI) and attempted to mislead the General Assembly into considering the question of the so-called Taiwan's "representation." The thrust of their proposal is to negate the "one China" principle and strip Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of its essence, so as to create "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" or "one country, two governments" by new tricks. "This is entirely a mockery and blasphemy of such an august organization as the United Nations," he said.

The General Committee of the successive session of the General Assembly since the 48th session have all made a just reply to this question, i.e. not including the question of the so-called Taiwan's "representation" in the agenda of the General Assembly. This has fully reflected the resolve of the overwhelming majority of UN member states to defend the principles of the UN Charter and their strong will to safeguard the seriousness and integrity of Resolution 2758 (XXVI). The new proposal dished out by Nicaragua and a very small number of other countries this year will come to an end certainly no better than previous years, he said.

Ambassador Qin Huasun said that only national reunification is the fundamental guarantee of the interests of the Taiwan compatriots.

"Only with the accomplishment of peaceful reunification can the Taiwan compatriots truly and fully enjoy, together with other Chinese people of all ethnic groups, the dignity and prestige attained by their great motherland in the world," he said.

There is no one in the world that is more concerned about the interests and future of the 21.5 million Taiwan compatriots than the Chinese government and people, he noted.

He reviewed development of China's policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" which was put forward by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping over a decade ago for the settlement of the Taiwan question.

Hong Kong's return to the motherland on July 1 this year marks an important step toward the accomplishment of China's great cause of national reunification and has won warm welcome from the entire Chinese people including the 21.5 million Taiwan compatriots as well as appreciation and endorsement from all countries in the world. In December 1999, "one country, two systems" will be implemented in Macao, he said.

"Facts will prove that the concept of 'one country, two systems' is not only a good way to settle the questions of Hong Kong and Macao, but will also certainly succeed in Taiwan," he stressed.

"The ultimate realization of 'one country, two systems' in Taiwan conforms to the common aspirations and is in the fundamental interest of the entire Chinese people including the 21.5 million Taiwan compatriots and contributes to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole," he added.

In order to end the state of separation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and achieve national reunification, Chinese President Jiang Zemin made an important speech on January 30, 1995, in which he put forward an eight-point proposal on developing the relations across the Straits and advancing the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland, he reviewed.

The proposal has not only taken into consideration the long-term interests of the entire Chinese people, but also accommodated and safeguarded the vital interests of the Taiwan compatriots, thus winning strong support from the entire Chinese people including the Taiwan compatriots as well as wide acclaim from the international community, he said.

The Chinese government will adhere to the proposal and policies for a long time to come to promote the development of relations between the two sides of the Straits and create more favorable conditions for peaceful reunification, he said.

"However, we have to point out with regret that instead of making a goodwill response, the Taiwan authorities have continued to carry out secessionist activities in the world aimed at creating 'two Chinas' and 'one China, one Taiwan.' We hope that the Taiwan authorities will, in the wider interest of the Chinese nation, return to the one China position, stop all activities to split the motherland and take concrete measures to improve the relations across the straits," he said.

He also warned that should Nicaragua and a very small number of other countries continue to hurt the fundamental interests of China, they would isolate themselves and ultimately pay the price for it.