MAC reaffirms People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday reaffirmed that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has never ruled Taiwan, describing it as a "historical fact that cannot be disputed."

The MAC issued the statement in response to a People's Daily commentary by Chinese scholar Wang Yingjin (王英津), who criticized President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) for saying the PRC has never governed Taiwan for even a single day.

In a speech delivered on June 22, Lai cited the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, under which Japan renounced all rights to Taiwan and the Penghu Islands following World War II -- but did not specify a recipient, meaning Taiwan was not ceded to the PRC.

Wang, head of the Cross-Strait Relations Research Center at Renmin University of China, claimed that since 1949, the PRC has exercised sovereign powers over Taiwan through political, military and diplomatic channels.

He argued that international bodies often consult Beijing on Taiwan's participation in global affairs, reflecting what he called the PRC's representative authority over the island.

Wang also cited examples such as China's enforcement of anti-secession measures and patrols near Kinmen in 2024 as signs of legal or administrative control over Taiwan.

National Taiwan University associate professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) dismissed Wang's claims as misleading and unconvincing, stressing that the international community does not broadly recognize Taiwan as part of China.

Chen cited research showing that among 183 countries with diplomatic ties to China, about 66 percent of joint communiqués do not mention or accept the view that Taiwan is part of China. Only around 33 percent explicitly acknowledge it.

While declining to address remarks by individual scholars, MAC reiterated its stance that the PRC has never governed Taiwan and emphasized that this is a historical truth.

Lai's June 22 statement, part of a recent campaign aimed at addressing the challenges facing Taiwan and outlining the government's responses, has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory.