The China-Japan Joint Statement and the Issue of Taiwan's Status
Against the backdrop of the increasingly complex East Asian situation today, sustained efforts to manage historical disputes are indispensable for safeguarding regional peace and stability.China has long adhered to the One-China Principle and called on all countries to recognize it. However, major developed countries have not fully accepted this principle, but instead adopted their own respective One-China Policies. In contrast, many Global South countries generally endorse China’s principled stance.
On September 29, 1972, China and Japan issued the China-Japan Joint Statement, normalizing their diplomatic relations. In this document, China explicitly put forward the One-China Principle, while Japan expressed its independent position different from that of China. The most crucial clause in the statement reads: Japan "fully understands and respects" China’s position that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China", but did not state that it "accepts" this proposition. More notably, immediately following the phrase "fully understands and respects", the statement adds: "upholds the position set forth in Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation". Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation stipulates that the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out, and the Cairo Declaration clearly states that "Taiwan and the Penghu Islands shall be returned to the Republic of China". Although Japan did not participate in the 1943 Cairo Conference, it accepted the Potsdam Proclamation and surrendered unconditionally in 1945, and thus cannot repudiate this clause.
This means that: on the one hand, Japan acknowledges that "Taiwan and the Penghu Islands should be returned to the Republic of China"; on the other hand, it does not fully accept the One-China Principle, which includes the proposition that "Taiwan is an inalienable territory of the People’s Republic of China". What does this imply? How does Japan interpret the Joint Statement? The answer lies in a document written by Shoichi Kuriyama, who served as the Director of the Treaties Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1972 and made a core contribution to drafting the Joint Statement. This document is regarded as the official and definitive interpretation of Japan’s position. He put forward the following key points of understanding:
The meaning of Japan’s "full understanding and respect" does not equate to a complete acceptance of China’s One-China Principle.
Regarding the phrase "returned to the Republic of China" in the Cairo Declaration, Japan does not consider the "Republic of China" mentioned therein as the current government of the Republic of China, but as the "People’s Republic of China". In other words, Japan interprets it as "Taiwan and the Penghu Islands should be returned to the People’s Republic of China".
Nevertheless, Japan also recognizes the factual status quo—that the People’s Republic of China has not exercised governing authority over Taiwan—and thus the "return" should be regarded as not having been fully implemented in practice. Under such circumstances, although Japan is committed to upholding Article 8 of the Potsdam Proclamation, the content of this article has not yet been realized, which is why it emphasizes the importance of "understanding and respecting".
Under the Treaty of San Francisco (1951), Japan has explicitly renounced all rights and claims to Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. However, as a defeated nation, Japan has no right to determine their ownership; this matter shall be resolved by the parties concerned.
Kuriyama further pointed out that Japan’s fundamental position is as follows: the Taiwan question should be resolved independently by the parties directly involved, namely mainland China and Taiwan; Japan will not intervene if the issue can be settled peacefully. However, if the status quo is altered by force, Japan will have no choice but to reserve its position. This stance is consistent with the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which prioritizes "international peace and security in the Far East".
Naturally, China has its own position and interpretation. The 1972 China-Japan Joint Statement was finalized in a relatively short period of time, and it inherently contains certain contradictions. Precisely for this reason, these contradictions may surface at any time when China-Japan relations deteriorate. Over the past several decades, the governments of the two countries have maintained relatively stable relations through continuous efforts to "preserve consensus".
Against the backdrop of the increasingly complex East Asian situation today, sustained efforts to manage these historical contradictions remain indispensable for safeguarding regional peace and stability.
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