Taipei, July 23 -- Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday reiterated that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has never exerted control over Taiwan, calling it an "historical fact that cannot be disputed."

As reported by the Central News Agency (CNA), the MAC responded to a commentary in the People's Daily by Chinese scholar Wang Yingjin, who criticised President Lai Ching-te for asserting that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan for even a single day. In a speech on June 22, Lai referenced the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which stated that Japan renounced all claims to Taiwan and the Penghu Islands after World War II but did not designate a recipient, indicating that Taiwan was not transferred to the PRC.

Wang, who leads ...