On April 19, the US Congress introduced a bipartisan draft Taiwan international solidarity act to decouple Taiwan from UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, emphasizing that the resolution deals with the right to represent China and does not involve Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Resolution 2758 does not indicate that Taiwan is part of China, so if the bill is passed by the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, and signed by US President Joe Biden, it would create a good opportunity for Taiwan to seek UN membership under the name “Taiwan.”
However, considering that the situation is unfavorable to Taiwan — the US and most other countries follow a “one China” policy, and China controls many UN member states — if it is to succeed in becoming a UN member, Taiwan must seek US support.
The new guidelines for government officials’ interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts announced by the US Department of State on April 9 still do not allow US officials to attend Double Ten National Day celebrations and other events that imply sovereignty.
In addition, on April 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) attended a climate change summit via video link at the invitation of Biden.
All this shows that the US-China relationship is cooperative as well as competitive.
In other words, although the US’ Taiwan Strait strategy has pro-Taiwan tendencies, it still falls within the framework of the US’ “one China” policy. This is the reason the US government has not yet revised the clause about the US not supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations for which statehood is a requirement.
To join the UN, Taiwan must first urge the US government to modify this policy so it can gain the US government’s help to join the WHO, the international organization at which Taiwan stands the best chance of being accepted as a member. Taiwan can then go on from this and seek to participate in the UN.
To break through the problems surrounding Taiwan’s participation in the WHO, the government could work with powerful overseas Taiwanese groups and individuals, and support the re-election bids of members of the US Congress who are friendly to Taiwan.
By establishing a closer relationship with members of Congress, Taiwan would have a better chance at persuading them to strike while the iron is hot to make the US government revise its Taiwan policy to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations for which statehood is a requirement, based on the Taiwan international solidarity act, as soon as it is approved and signed.
Hopefully, overseas Taiwanese would also help make the Taiwan issue a focus of US elections to establish a closer relationship with the White House, help form a Strait policy more oriented toward Taiwan and cooperate with Congress members to prompt the US government to amend its policies.
In addition, in the context of fierce US-China high tech competition, the government should make good use of the Taiwan Assurance Act and the Taiwan Travel Act to continue strengthening high-level exchanges between Taiwan and the US, making use of the Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue to build a Taiwan-US semiconductor supply chain, and deepening US-Taiwan economic and trade relations.
By establishing closer Taiwan-US relations that are mutually beneficial, Taiwan would be in a better position to join the UN.
The key to success would be the US’ power in the WHO and whether the US would be willing to ignore the deteriorating relations with China and lobby all member states to support Taiwan’s participation.
If Taiwan could join the WHO, it would contribute its medical and public health expertise to benefit the international community.
With outstanding performance in an important UN organization and with the assistance of the US, Taiwan could apply for UN membership under the name of “Taiwan.”
Taiwan’s accession to the UN depends more on the power of the US in the UN, how the US views US-China-Taiwan relations, and whether the US is willing to revise its outdated “one China” policy and recognize that Taiwan does not belong to China. This would be a long and arduous road.
Michael Lin is a retired diplomat who served in the US.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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