U.S. Lawmakers Advocate for Taiwan’s Inclusion in ICAO and U.N.

Washington: U.S. lawmakers from both houses of Congress on Friday separately called for Taiwan's participation in the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly and the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to Focus Taiwan, in a letter to ICAO President Salvatore Sciacchitano, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, along with 19 other members, urged that Taiwan be formally invited to participate in the triennial meeting that starts on Tuesday. As ICAO's mandate is to enhance global civil aviation safety and security, "the inclusion of committed and cooperative stakeholders such as Taiwan must serve as a fundamental principle," the congressmen said. The letter highlighted Taiwan's administration of the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR), one of about 300 worldwide, which manages 18 international and four domestic routes. In 2024, the FIR supported services from 90 airlines operating 285 passenger and cargo rou tes linking Taiwan with 117 cities. The lawmakers noted that while Taiwan maintains high standards of civil aviation, its exclusion from ICAO's technical meetings and secure platforms leaves it without access to critical aviation safety information, undermining international aviation standards. The letter also pointed out that China has increasingly challenged Taiwan's airspace by unilaterally designating danger zones, reserving areas for military drills, and activating new flight routes near the median line of the Taiwan Strait. These actions are inconsistent with ICAO standards, create dangerous precedents, and heighten the risk of avoidable aviation incidents, the lawmakers said, emphasizing that ICAO cannot fulfill its mandate while excluding Taiwan's experience, perspective, and participation. The congressmen asserted that Taiwan's inclusion in the 42nd ICAO Assembly is a matter of U.S. national interest and international aviation security and recommended that an invitation be promptly extended to Taiw an. Meanwhile, Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a joint statement on Friday to voice support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations, ahead of the start of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. They stated the importance of countering the People's Republic of China's misrepresentation of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758, which led to the People's Republic of China entering the U.N. and Taiwan leaving the multilateral body. Risch and Shaheen argued that the 1971 resolution only concerns the representation of the "China" seat at the U.N. and does not address Taiwan's political status or its ability to engage with U.N. entities. They criticized China's efforts to conflate the resolution with its 'One China Principle' and rewrite official U.N. documents to support its claims to Taiwan. The senators concluded by reaffirming the United States' support for Taiwan's participation in intern ational organizations and rejecting China's efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.