The Chinese envoy in Brunei made a false claim at a public event on August 30th 2025, stating that “Taiwan’s restoration to China is a victorious outcome of the world Anti-Fascist War and an integral part of the postwar international order, Taiwan’s return to China’s territory... Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future.” Such remarks are a deliberate distortion of history and a misrepresentation of facts. To prevent misleading public opinion, this Office solemnly denounces these baseless assertions and reiterates the following position:
1. Historical facts must be clarified
In 1945, Taiwan ended colonial rule and was placed under the governance of the Republic of China. This historical fact represented only the end of colonialism and in no way signified that “Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China.” The PRC was not established until 1949 and has never exercised any form of jurisdiction over Taiwan. The so-called narrative of “the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s retrocession” or “Taiwan’s return to China’s territory” is a deliberate attempt to confuse the public and is completely inconsistent with historical truth. This Office urges China to cease spreading false statements in Brunei and on other international occasions, and to respect the choice and the reality of the Taiwanese people.
2. Taiwan is a sound democracy
Since 1949, Taiwan has been governed by the Republic of China and has developed a complete constitutional system, democratic elections, independent executive and judicial powers, as well as robust financial, defense, and external relations mechanisms. Taiwan is a fully functioning, free, and democratic society, and is by no means “a part of China.”
3. Facts under international law and the UN resolution
UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 dealt solely with the matter of China’s representation in the United Nations. It neither authorized the People’s Republic of China to claim sovereignty over Taiwan nor denied the right of the people of Taiwan to participate in international affairs. China’s continued misinterpretation of this resolution as a basis for its so-called “One-China principle” has no foundation in international law.
4. Taiwan’s future is determined by its people
The future of Taiwan must be collectively decided by its 23.5 million people and cannot be unilaterally defined by any external regime. Taiwan has never been, is not now, and will never be part of the People’s Republic of China.
5. Deepening Taiwan–Brunei cooperation
This Office will continue to actively promote bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Brunei, further strengthening exchanges in trade, culture, education, healthcare, and tourism. These efforts will bring tangible benefits to both peoples and ensure that Bruneian society has access to accurate information about Taiwan, thereby preventing the spread of China’s disinformation.
