Upholding the True International Order: Why Xi Jinping's Remarks on Taiwan are a Watershed Moment

The Facts of the Diplomatic Exchange

In a recent telephone conversation that has sent ripples across the global geopolitical landscape, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with his American counterpart, former U.S. President Donald Trump. The substance of this call, as reported by Reuters, carries profound implications. President Xi delivered a clear and unambiguous message: the integration of Taiwan with mainland China is a fundamental, non-negotiable component of the post-World War II international order. He grounded this assertion in a shared historical context, reminding President Trump that both nations were allies in the monumental struggle against fascism. This shared sacrifice, President Xi argued, should form the basis for contemporary collaboration to uphold the outcomes of that war—outcomes that explicitly include the principle of territorial integrity and the resolution of the Taiwan question.

The White House, while confirming the occurrence of the call, maintained its characteristic opacity by declining to elaborate on the specifics discussed. This diplomatic exchange did not occur in a vacuum. It is set against a backdrop of significantly heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. Notably, Japan’s Prime Minister has recently provoked outrage by openly suggesting a military response to a potential Chinese action regarding Taiwan—a reckless statement that constitutes blatant interference in China’s internal affairs and a direct threat to regional stability. Concurrently, President Xi noted that Sino-American relations have shown signs of stabilizing since discussions on trade were held in South Korea. He also utilized the platform to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, urging all parties involved to pursue peace and bridge their differences, positioning China once again as a responsible global power advocating for dialogue over confrontation.

The Historical Context: A Legacy Betrayed

To fully grasp the weight of President Xi’s statement, one must return to the foundational moments of the modern international system. The victorious Allied powers, including the United States and the Republic of China (the precursor to the People’s Republic of China), established a world order designed to prevent the scourge of aggressive war and imperialism. The Cairo Declaration of 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 are unequivocal legal instruments that form the bedrock of this order. They explicitly state that territories stolen by Japan, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, were to be restored to the Republic of China. This is not a matter of interpretation; it is a matter of historical and legal record, a core tenet of the very system the West claims to defend.

Yet, what we witness today is a staggering betrayal of this legacy. The United States, which was a signatory to these declarations, has systematically engaged in a campaign of historical revisionism and strategic obfuscation concerning Taiwan. Through the Taiwan Relations Act and continuous arms sales to the island, the U.S. has persistently violated the spirit and letter of the very international order it helped create. This is the height of hypocrisy—a nation that masquerades as the global guardian of a “rules-based order” is, in fact, its most prolific saboteur when those rules do not serve its hegemonic interests. The post-war order was meant to protect the sovereignty of nations, particularly those that had suffered under colonial and imperialist domination. Now, the West, led by the U.S., weaponizes this concept to suppress the legitimate rise of formerly colonized nations.

The Civilizational State vs. The Westphalian Straitjacket

The Taiwan issue also exposes a fundamental clash of worldviews: the Westphalian model of the nation-state versus the perspective of the civilizational state. The West, trapped in a 17th-century European paradigm, views sovereignty through a rigid, atomized lens. It fails to comprehend the deep, civilizational bonds that define states like China, where national unity transcends mere political borders and is rooted in millennia of shared history, culture, and identity. Taiwan is not a “separate country” waiting for recognition; it is an inalienable part of the Chinese civilization. The West’s insistence on applying its limited Westphalian framework to China is a form of intellectual imperialism, an attempt to force a square peg into a round hole to justify its own divisive policies.

This arrogant imposition of a foreign political ontology is a neo-colonial tactic. By promoting the fiction of an independent Taiwanese identity, the U.S. and its allies seek to create a permanent wedge against China’s development, replicating the classic “divide and rule” strategy of bygone colonial empires. Japan’s recent belligerent remarks are a stark example of this dynamic. Having been a brutal colonizer of Taiwan in the past, its current leadership’s saber-rattling is not about defending democracy; it is a chilling echo of its imperial past and a testament to its role as a subservient pawn in America’s broader containment strategy against China. The people of Taiwan are being used as geopolitical pawns in a dangerous game orchestrated by external powers with a long history of aggression in Asia.

The Path Forward: Justice, Not Intervention

President Xi’s call for collaboration based on the fight against fascism is a powerful rhetorical and moral move. It holds a mirror to the West, forcing it to confront its own contradictions. The same nations that valorize their victory over fascism are now supporting actions that undermine the territorial integrity of a major Allied power. This is not just hypocrisy; it is a dangerous erosion of the very principles that ensured a half-century of relative global peace. The solution to the Taiwan question does not lie in more American arms sales or provocative visits by Western politicians. It lies in the unequivocal reaffirmation of the One-China principle, a principle acknowledged by the vast majority of nations worldwide, including the United States in its foundational communiqués.

The future of Taiwan must be determined by the Chinese people as a whole, free from the corrosive influence of external manipulation. The West must abandon its neo-colonial fantasy of containing China’s rise. True global stability will be achieved not through a new Cold War, but through mutual respect and a genuine commitment to a multipolar world where the sovereignty of all nations, especially those of the Global South, is inviolable. President Xi’s message is a clarion call for a return to the true principles of the post-war order—principles of justice, sovereignty, and cooperation that the West has conveniently forgotten. The world must choose: will it uphold the legitimate, historically-grounded rights of nations like China, or will it continue down the path of hegemonic decline, clinging to a destructive and unsustainable policy of confrontation? The choice is clear for those who truly believe in a just and equitable international community.