Taiwan has never been part of mainland China

OPINION:

In the run-up to the Jan. 13 election in Taiwan, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping made repeated claims that the “reunification” of Taiwan with mainland China is a “historical inevitability.”

Mr. Xi would have the Taiwanese people believe that historical fact demands reunification and that its happening is inevitable. The truth is the exact opposite: “Reunification” is neither historical nor inevitable.

“Reunification” is a blatant misnomer, the invention of Chinese Communist Party officials bent on the acquisition of power and pushing a false narrative on those ignorant of history. Had the history books in China not all been destroyed during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, Mr. Xi could read these facts himself: Taiwan has never been part of China.

Like most countries in the world, Taiwan has been ruled by many powers throughout history: A few Chinese dynasties have sporadically ruled the island of Taiwan, yes, but it has also been periodically occupied, annexed and governed by Spain, the Netherlands and Japan — none of which have ownership claims with respect to Taiwan, and rightfully so. Most importantly, China has never ruled the island nation.

China’s claim over Taiwan has its genesis not in the arc of history, but with Mao — who himself did not believe Taiwan was part of China, saying in 1936 that China would provide the people of Taiwan “enthusiastic help in their struggle for independence.” Only much later, driven by domestic political considerations, did Mao conveniently change his mind.

History provides no justification for Mr. Xi’s visions of “reunification,” and nobody should be swayed by the Communist Party’s tired, empty and false claims.

Taiwan has never been part of China, nor is it “inevitable” that it will be. The island nation is prosperous, free and dynamic. While the Chinese Communist Party may wish to convince them otherwise, the vast majority of Taiwanese adults consider themselves just that: Taiwanese.

Through independence and ingenuity, they have produced one of the most powerful and important economies in the world, while practically every electronic device we use every day has something made by Taiwan’s TSMC. Taiwan’s example of freedom and prosperity fundamentally disproves the model Beijing wishes to impose on its people and the world, and this scares Mr. Xi and his apparatchiks.

This same fear drove Mr. Xi to crush freedom in Hong Kong, and it is why he has turned to election interference and shows of force to bully the free and independent Taiwanese people. Through increasingly aggressive acts and attacks on Taiwan’s infrastructure, Mr. Xi hopes to convince them that they have no choice but to accept that reunification is inevitable.

This “inevitability” is belied by the reality of the recent election, and the likelihood of China realizing its ambitions to rule Taiwan turns on the actions of Taiwan, the United States and the region. Will we, collectively, deter China? Are we prepared to impose real costs on the Chinese Communist Party, not simply catch inbound missiles? Are we prepared to shut down China’s campaign of economic theft and build an anti-China alliance that defends our core values?

If so, the Chinese Communist Party will retreat. If not, it will advance. We should start by declaring Taiwan a free, independent nation. The Chinese government has broken the Nixon-Kissinger covenants; why do we pretend they are still in effect?

In March 2022, I visited Taiwan for the first time as a private citizen. I remember the thrill I felt as the plane touched down at Taoyuan International Airport. Though I had often spoken of this incredible island nation as America’s 70th secretary of state, I had never had the privilege of visiting.

I was also conscious of the fact that just by landing safely in Taiwan, I had already proved wrong one of the Chinese Communist Party’s favorite lies: That Taiwan is not an independent country, but rather a territory belonging to China. After my service in the Trump administration, I had been sanctioned and banned from ever setting foot in China.

Yet here I was in Taiwan, arriving freely in a beautiful and vibrant independent democracy that China claims as its own territory. This visit reflected an important truth: When we choose not to appease our enemies — when we never give an inch in defense of freedom — only then are we able to defend the things that truly matter.

A vigorous and sustained commitment to defending Taiwan’s freedom, alongside our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific, must be at the heart of our strategy to deter China. As the Taiwanese people head to the ballot box to choose a future defined by freedom, the United States should make clear to the Chinese Communist Party that we and our allies will ensure that this future becomes a reality.

• Mike Pompeo served in the Trump administration as director of the CIA from 2017 to 2018 and as secretary of state from 2018 to 2021. He also served in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017.