Taiwan Refutes China’s Claims Over U.N. Resolution 2758

Taipei: The Republic of China (Taiwan) government on Wednesday refuted a People's Republic of China (PRC) position paper on Resolution 2758 adopted by the United Nations in 1971, which Beijing has used as the basis to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. In a statement, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) clarified that U.N. resolution 2758 only expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek, the then Chinese government leader, "from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all organizations related to it." According to Focus Taiwan, the resolution does not mention Taiwan, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of China or give the PRC the right to represent Taiwan in the U.N. MOFA described China's interpretation of the resolution as "absurd and ridiculous," accusing Beijing of attempting to undermine the rules-based world order. MOFA reiterated that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other and emphasized that the PRC has never governed Taiwan. "Only Tai wan's democratically elected government can represent the country's 23 million people in the U.N.," the statement added. MOFA's response came after a PRC position paper on Resolution 2758 was posted on the website of its foreign ministry on Tuesday, following the conclusion of the General Debate of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The Chinese position paper claims that Resolution 2758 "confirms and fully embodies the one-China principle," recognizing the PRC as the "sole legal government representing the whole of China," including "the Taiwan region." It also accuses the United States and other countries of "distorting and challenging Resolution 2758" to facilitate Taiwan's pursuit of "international space." Resolution 2758, adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971, addressed China's representation within the international body. As a result, Taiwan, officially named the ROC, lost its U.N. seat to the PRC, leading to Taipei's exclusion from the international organization an d its affiliates. Washington has frequently criticized Beijing for using "coercive efforts" to exclude Taiwan from the international community by "misusing" UN Resolution 2758. A U.S. Department of State spokesperson in March stated, "Intentional misuse and mischaracterization of UNGA resolution 2758 is part of China's broader coercive efforts to isolate Taiwan from the international community." The spokesperson further noted that the resolution "puts no limits on any country's sovereign choice to engage substantively with Taiwan" and "does not preclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other multilateral fora."