BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- "Taiwan independence" forces have suffered a major setback as a trip to Eswatini by Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te, a diehard separatist, was recently canceled after several African countries denied his plane overflight rights.

As Taiwan regional authorities groundlessly blamed the failed attempt on the Chinese mainland, officials in Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar made it clear that their countries made the decisions independently in line with their commitment to the one-China principle.

Lai's planned visit to Taiwan's only so-called "diplomatic ally" in Africa was nothing but a provocative act of political manipulation aimed at promoting "Taiwan independence." It is both just and right for relevant countries to safeguard the one-China principle by refusing to provide any convenience for Lai's fraudulent actions which are against the tide of history.

This latest incident serves as a strong reaffirmation of a fundamental reality: the one-China principle is a basic, unshakable norm in international relations and a prevailing consensus in the world, while space for "Taiwan independence" activities is bound to continue shrinking.

The Taiwan question is a scar left over from a full-blown civil war fought between forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, remnants of the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China was founded under the leadership of the CPC. The unresolved civil war and foreign interference have left the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation.

However, both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. The core meaning of the one-China principle includes three aspects: there is but one China in the world, the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971 solemnly confirms and fully embodies the one-China principle. After the adoption of this historic resolution, all official U.N. documents have referred to Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China."

The Taiwan question is an internal affair of China and at the center of the country's core interests. The prevailing consensus of the one-China principle is evident in the number of countries recognizing it. To date, 183 countries have established and developed diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. Over the past decade, 10 countries have severed "diplomatic relations" with the island and established or resumed diplomatic ties with China, underscoring the expanding global consensus on this matter.

Meanwhile, a growing number of countries have stated that they support all efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. In the Beijing Declaration adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, 53 African countries and the African Union reaffirmed firm commitment to the one-China principle, and expressed solid support for all endeavors by the Chinese government aimed at achieving national reunification. During his state visit to China earlier this month, Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo said his country attaches great importance to its relations with China, unconditionally abides by the one-China principle, and supports China in achieving national reunification.

Such firm adherence to the one-China principle is a growing trend globally. For example, Cameroon listed the island as "Taiwan, province of China" in pre-travel documentation issued for a World Trade Organization summit in late March, while the Danish government lists the nationality of people from Taiwan as "China" on residence permits.

"All these developments indicate a significant global trend, amounting to firm support for the one-China principle and opposition to 'Taiwan independence' in any form," Chen Guiqing, a research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua.

The complete reunification of China is unstoppable. The one-China principle is where the arc of history bends and public opinion trends, and upholding it is clearly the right thing to do. Such consensus will gain even more robust support through concrete actions from the international community. ■