Taiwan accuses China of misinterpreting U.N. Resolution

TAIWAN HAS condemned China for intentionally misinterpreting a 1971 United Nations resolution and using it as a pretext to argue against Taiwan being part of the U.N. system.

The condemnation came after a speech by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the United Nations recently in which he cited Resolution 2758 as a basis for Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China.

Wang reiterated Beijing's stance by describing Taiwan as an inseparable part of China's territory since ancient times. “Only when China is completely reunified, can there be enduring peace across the Taiwan Strait... Any move to obstruct China's reunification is bound to be crushed by the wheels of history,” he said.

According to Wang, General Assembly Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, ended the concept of two Chinas or one China and one Taiwan. “The one-China principle has become the basic norm in international relations and a consensus in the international community,” he contended. “When entering into diplomatic relations with China, 181 countries all recognized and have accepted that there is one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China.”

In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called Wang’s speech a misinterpretation of the resolution, saying that Resolution 2758 only addressed the issue of China's representation at the U.N. and did not mention Taiwan at all.

The resolution not only did not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the U.N. system, it did not say Taiwan was part of the PRC, MOFA said. “The Republic of China is a democratic country with independent sovereignty,” the Ministry said, adding China has been intentionally abusing the resolution to pressure the U.N. into excluding Taiwanese from its system.

Resolution 2758 recognized the representatives of the PRC government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations and expelled forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.

Since then, Taiwan, which is currently diplomatically recognized by 14 states in the world, has not been a member of the U.N. and efforts to participate in U.N. affiliated organizations have been repeatedly thwarted by Beijing.

Meanwhile, MOFA charged that China’s recent military drills crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait violated the U.N. Charter, which demands that members refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

It is ironic that an authoritarian regime that claims to be a peace-loving nation has repeatedly attempted to unilaterally change the cross-Taiwan Strait status quo and peace and stability in the region, MOFA said.

The ministry said Taiwan will continue to work closely with allies and like-minded countries to jointly resist authoritarian expansion and aggression to safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific region and rule-based world order.

Peaceful dialogue

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also called for continued dialogue and maximum restraint as he expressed concern over soaring tensions in Taiwan. Marcos made the remark in a speech at the Asia Society forum in New York during his state visit in the United States, where he stressed the importance of maintaining channels in order to come up with a peaceful resolution of issues.

“We urge all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint. Dialogue and diplomacy must prevail. We adhere to the One China Policy and have consistently called for the peaceful resolution of the issues involving Taiwan,” he said, referring to the diplomatic acknowledgment of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.

Tensions over Taiwan are spiking over a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which has further strained relations between Washington and Beijing. Amid the tensions, Marcos committed to upholding peace and pushing for partnerships with its neighbors.

“We will continue to work toward strengthening ASEAN, particularly its dialogue partnerships with neighbors that uphold regional peace and security,” said Marcos.

Peace and security took center stage in Marcos’ historic speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the fundamental principles of the United Nations of preserving peace, security, and stability among nations. (Joseph Yeh, CNA and Mindanao Examiner, OPS)