Taipei: Taiwanese Premier Cho Tsung-tai insisted on Thursday that rejoining China is not an option for Taiwan’s 23 million people, after Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the decision in a conversation with US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Cho told reporters outside Parliament today that Taiwan must reiterate that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a fully independent and sovereign country, and that for the 23 million people of Taiwan, “going back” is not an option. This is very clear.

According to Thai News Agency, Taiwan’s premier reiterated the point after President Xi said in a phone call with the US leader on Monday, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency, that Taiwan’s reunion with China was an important part of the post-World War II world order, while Trump did not mention Taiwan in social media posts about his conversation with the Chinese leader.

Taiwan has steadfastly refused to recognize China’s attempts to assert sovereignty over the island since the end of World War II 80 years ago in 1945. Taiwan, then a colony of Japan, reverted to the Republic of China (ROC) government when Japan was defeated. The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949 after Mao Zedong’s communist forces drove the ROC forces to Taiwan. China has proposed a “one country, two systems” model of governance for Taiwan, but it has not been supported by Taiwan’s mainstream political parties. Current Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has rejected this proposal.