The one China principle took shape in the course of the Chinese people's struggle to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Abiding by this principle is the prerequisite to solving the Taiwan issue and reaching the peaceful reunification of the motherland, the paper says. Under international law, the status of a state is not affected by the change of its name. The current name of the state was approved by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, held in Beijing in 1949. Now, any mention of China is a reference to the People's Republic of China.
International law supports the status of Taiwan as an integral part of China.
Through the end of the 19th century, all previous governments in China held jurisdiction over Taiwan. The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and Britain in 1943 is an international document detailing the status of Taiwan. It affirms the illegality of Japanese aggression against Taiwan. Japan surrendered in August 1945, and the then Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan and the Penghu Islands on 25th October the same year. On 26th October, the then Chinese government proclaimed that Taiwan is a province of China.