The 77th session of the UN General Assembly opened on Sept. 13. More than 10 overseas Taiwanese organizations had submitted a petition to the UN secretary-general, protesting that 23.5 million Taiwanese are excluded from representation.
As president of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance, I also submitted a letter to the UN, saying that Taiwanese should have the right to be represented under the name of Taiwan.
The government has been asking its allies to support Taiwan’s entry into the UN, but under its official name, the Republic of China (ROC). Doing so would have involved the right to represent China, with the ROC replacing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the UN.
This would be opposed by China and even if Taiwan were successful, it would have meant that Taiwan was representing China, and that Taiwan was China, which is clearly not the case.
After World War II, the US and the Soviet Union formed the UN together with the other founding members of the Security Council. The Security Council included the US, the Soviet Union, a Britain much weakened from the war, a France newly emerged from the ignominy of German occupation and the ROC of the Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) government, saved from the brink of extinction during the Second Sino-Japanese War only by the support of the US.
Chiang’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was defeated by the Chinese communists after the war. His military clique privately deployed resources to occupied Taiwan and Chiang followed in exile, saying that the KMT represented the ROC, thus retaining China’s seat in the UN.
On Oct. 25, 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, recognizing the PRC as the only legitimate representative of China at the UN and removing “the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek.” This was Chiang and his representatives being removed; Taiwan itself has never entered the UN.
Beijing has continuously peddled the lie that Taiwan is a part of China and the KMT regime has sung the same song in its exile on this side of the Taiwan Strait.
During the Cold War, the US followed the strategy of allying with China to control the Soviet Union, and this has meant that the US has preferred to maintain an ambiguous attitude toward the question of Taiwan.
Today, the international situation has changed and the US’ strategy has become one of containing China, while Taiwan has become a democracy, a nation ruled by the people, for the people. For this reason, the US’ attitude toward it has changed, too.
UN Resolution 2758 is almost half a century old. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Rick Waters has publicly criticized China for “misusing” the resolution to prevent Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN for a long time.
The US, then, acknowledges that Taiwan does not belong to China, and that Resolution 2758 relates only to China and has nothing to do with Taiwan.
The US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee has passed the draft Taiwan policy act, clearly saying that its purpose is to “support Taiwan’s security and right to self-determination.” The US supports Taiwanese’s right to determine for themselves their status and future, and that China should not have a say in this.
Taiwanese should also demonstrate their own resolve for this, and work to join not just the UN, but also other international organizations, and discard the name of the ROC, which misrepresents what we are to ourselves and to others.
Tommy Lin is president of the Formosa Republican Association.
Translated by Paul Cooper
There are moments in history when America has turned its back on its principles and withdrawn from past commitments in service of higher goals. For example, US-Soviet Cold War competition compelled America to make a range of deals with unsavory and undemocratic figures across Latin America and Africa in service of geostrategic aims. The United States overlooked mass atrocities against the Bengali population in modern-day Bangladesh in the early 1970s in service of its tilt toward Pakistan, a relationship the Nixon administration deemed critical to its larger aims in developing relations with China. Then, of course, America switched diplomatic recognition
The international women’s soccer match between Taiwan and New Zealand at the Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium, scheduled for Tuesday last week, was canceled at the last minute amid safety concerns over poor field conditions raised by the visiting team. The Football Ferns, as New Zealand’s women’s soccer team are known, had arrived in Taiwan one week earlier to prepare and soon raised their concerns. Efforts were made to improve the field, but the replacement patches of grass could not grow fast enough. The Football Ferns canceled the closed-door training match and then days later, the main event against Team Taiwan. The safety
The National Immigration Agency on Tuesday said it had notified some naturalized citizens from China that they still had to renounce their People’s Republic of China (PRC) citizenship. They must provide proof that they have canceled their household registration in China within three months of the receipt of the notice. If they do not, the agency said it would cancel their household registration in Taiwan. Chinese are required to give up their PRC citizenship and household registration to become Republic of China (ROC) nationals, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said. He was referring to Article 9-1 of the Act
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
RSS