Taipei: Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai delivered one of the island’s strongest rebuttals to Beijing in recent months, declaring that the idea of Taiwan “returning” to China is fundamentally unacceptable to its 23 million citizens. His remarks came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump that Taiwan’s reintegration into China was central to the global post-war order.
Speaking before reporters at the Legislative Yuan, Cho emphasized that Taiwan’s political identity and sovereignty were not up for negotiation. “We must stress once again that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent nation,” he said. “For the people of Taiwan, ‘returning’ to China is not an option this is an undeniable reality.” His statement was a direct response to Xi’s narrative that Taiwan’s future should include eventual unification under Beijing’s rule.
Cho also reiterated Taiwan’s blanket rejection of the “one country, two systems” model China’s proposed framework that would theoretically grant Taiwan limited autonomy after unification. The premier noted that the formula has no support from any major Taiwanese political party and was explicitly dismissed by President Lai Ching-te. He added that Hong Kong’s deteriorating freedoms serve as a clear warning of what Beijing’s promises mean in practice.
At the heart of the current dispute lies a long-standing conflict over historical interpretation. During his conversation with Trump, Xi argued that Taiwan’s “return to China” after World War II forms a foundational part of international order. Taiwan’s government quickly countered, stating that the island was placed under the administration of the Republic of China not the People’s Republic of China, which did not come into existence until 1949. Officials in Taipei further accused Beijing of distorting war-era documents to present an inaccurate historical claim aimed at delegitimizing Taiwan’s status.
The tensions unfold amid heightened regional unease. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently suggested that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan, prompting sharp reactions from Beijing. Taiwan’s defense ministry also reported tracking a Chinese balloon drifting over the Taiwan Strait, adding to concerns about China’s persistent pressure tactics.
China’s Foreign Ministry maintains that it is the legitimate successor to the Republic of China established in 1912 and continues to assert its claim over Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory. Beijing insists that unification is inevitable and remains a “historic mission.”
Cho’s strong statement, however, underscores Taiwan’s resolve to safeguard its democratic system and maintain its de facto independence. As geopolitical tensions rise in East Asia, the dispute over Taiwan’s political identity remains one of the region’s most dangerous fault lines one with implications far beyond the island’s shores.