Dozens of individuals from various sectors in Taiwan gathered in front of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House last Sunday to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the signing of the “San Francisco Peace Treaty.” They claimed that this treaty marked the legal origin of Taiwan as an independent country.
The San Francisco War Memorial Opera House was completed in 1932 to commemorate all participants in World War I. The theater is an architectural marvel in the ancient Roman Doric style, situated on the west side of the San Francisco City Hall.
On September 8, 1951, 48 Allied and Axis Powers, including Japan, who emerged victorious in World War II, signed the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” at this opera house, officially ending the Second World War.
The Taiwan Republic is a non-governmental organization dedicated to Taiwan’s independence and nation-building. The organization’s Chairman, Chen Junhan, stated at the rally on the 13th that the Qing Dynasty signed the “Treaty of Shimonoseki” with Japan in 1895, ceding Taiwan to Japan. However, after the signing of the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” on September 8, 1951, Taiwan was officially abandoned by Japan without determining its recipient.
The second article of the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” clearly states that “Japan renounces all rights, titles, and claims to Taiwan and the Pescadores.” However, due to the conflict between the Communist regime and the Nationalist government at that time, the treaty did not conclusively establish Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Chairman Chen Junhan expressed that despite Taiwan’s democratization and election of its own president, the Taiwanese people have waited over a hundred years and still have not obtained the right to self-determination as stipulated in Articles 77 and 76 of the UN Charter.
In his speech, Yabeta Akio, the CEO of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank, highlighted the importance of six treaties in Taiwan’s history. He emphasized that these international treaties have bound Taiwan for many years, making it an unusual entity that resembles a state yet is not officially recognized as one.
The Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank aims to enhance Taiwan’s international visibility and defend its democratic way of life.
According to Yabeta Akio, the absence of a definitive determination of Taiwan’s sovereignty in the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” necessitates that “Taiwan’s sovereignty should be taken over by the Taiwanese people themselves.” He emphasized that the root of Taiwan’s independence lies within the walls of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House.
He underscored that there are two fundamental principles in today’s international community: “sovereignty belongs to the people” and “the right to self-determination of nations.” Taiwan has been at a disadvantage as Taiwan was not involved in the negotiations and signing of these six treaties.
Thus, he stressed that what Taiwan should uphold is a treaty signed by the Taiwanese people themselves, determining the future destiny of Taiwan.
Former Minister of National Defense of Taiwan and current Chairman of the National Defense Policy and Strategic Research Institute, Cai Mingxian, pointed out that the US government, upon the passage of the “San Francisco Peace Treaty,” also acknowledged that Taiwan’s sovereignty was undetermined.
When the Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, US President Truman dispatched the Seventh Fleet to Taiwan on June 27, declaring that Taiwan’s future status must await the restoration of peace in the Pacific region, the conclusion of a peace treaty with Japan, or the decision by the United Nations. Truman’s declaration is widely regarded as the origin of the debate over Taiwan’s sovereignty.
In 1952, Japan and the Republic of China signed the “Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty,” which in its second article acknowledged that after the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” of 1951, “Japan has renounced all rights, titles, and claims to Taiwan and the Pescadores, as well as the Spratly and Pratas Islands.” However, the “Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty” did not determine Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Chairman Cai Mingxian pointed out that both the UN Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly state that people have the right to self-determination. Therefore, Taiwan’s future should be decided according to the will of the Taiwanese people.
New Taipei City Councilor, Chen Naiyu, stated that the “San Francisco Peace Treaty” holds great significance for Taiwan. She emphasized that Taiwan possesses the four essential elements of a country: people, land, government, and sovereignty. Therefore, it is a reality that Taiwan exists as an independent country.
She urged, “We must let the world know that the human rights of the Taiwanese people and the national sovereignty of Taiwan cannot be ignored.”
Consultant of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank, Wu Jialong, pointed out the necessity of defining borders between nations. He illustrated that Northern Ireland cannot separate from the UK and Quebec cannot secede from Canada because different ethnic groups coexist, hence making border delineation impossible. However, the Taiwan Strait separates China and Taiwan, allowing for the demarcation of borders.
He believes that in addition to government, land, and people, Taiwan urgently needs to build a strong defense to defend its sovereignty based on strength.
Chairman of the Taiwan Hometown Care Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, Xie Zhenkuan, told Epoch Times that every year around September 8, he comes to the front of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House to commemorate the birth of the “San Francisco Peace Treaty.” He called on all Taiwanese people to work together to help Taiwan regain its seat in the United Nations.