Fifty years ago on Oct. 26, then-president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) issued the “Letter Informing All Compatriots about the Republic of China’s Withdrawal from the United Nations.”
In the letter, Chiang wrote that the “Republic of China is an independent and sovereign country, and it brooks no external interference in the exercise of its sovereignty ... the government of the Republic of China is the true representative of the 700 million Chinese on the mainland ... the Mao [Zedong, 毛澤東] thieves, traitors and bandits are torn by constant internal power struggles, and we will steady our confidence, increase our strength, save our compatriots and recover the mainland.”
Chiang released the statement because a day earlier, the UN General Assembly had adopted UN Resolution 2758, which states that “the General Assembly ... decides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel 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.”
For the Chiang government, the resolution meant that the UN was “choosing the bandits over us,” and in practice, it had nothing to do with Taiwan. Over the past 50 years, China has distorted and abused its “one China” principle to block Taiwan’s integration into the international community. In 2007, then-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon declared Taiwan to be a part of China based on the resolution, drawing protests from the US.
Taiwan has become a force for good in the international arena, having excelled in democracy, disease prevention and technology, but it has been subjected to Chinese oppression due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) ambitions, which has focused the world’s attention on the safety of 23 million Taiwanese and their right to join the international community. As a result, the facts, distortions and abuse of Resolution 2758 are being taken seriously.
Last week, Rick Waters, deputy assistant secretary of state in the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, criticized China for misusing Resolution 2758. China has used the resolution to block Taiwan from contributing to the world and to keep the international community from benefiting from Taiwan’s participation, he said, adding that schools and civic organizations in the US had been forced to denigrate Taiwan by referring to it as “Taiwan, Province of China” and other names.
Waters asked how it makes sense that Taiwanese students, artists, journalists and human rights advocates are not allowed to participate in UN activities, while Beijing at the same time decides whether Taiwan should be allowed to participate in UN activities based on its opinion of Taiwan’s leaders in light of cross-strait relations.
Waters called on member nations to join the US in supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system. On Friday, the US government held a meeting to discuss specific strategies for increasing Taiwan’s international participation.
From the perspective of international law, Resolution 2758 is a consensus resolution and is not legally binding. Its interpretation and implementation depends on the foreign policy of each country, and the opinion of each country’s government and citizens. China has fabricated a legal basis for the resolution, extended its interpretation and application, and “smuggled it” into the UN framework, specialized agencies and secretariats, demanding that any matter involving Taiwan must adhere to the “one China” principle.
Beijing has thus distorted a resolution about representation into a legal declaration that determines the utilization of UN resources and participation in the international arena, suppressing the participation of Taiwan and Taiwanese in international activities. As the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, this is absurd.
The international community, most notably the US, has become increasingly disenchanted with China using its influence to impose its national will on the UN, turning it into a tool for Beijing to manipulate and use. According to a poll conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in August, 65 percent of Americans support UN membership for Taiwan.
In April, a bipartisan group of US Congress members introduced the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, clarifying that the UN General Assembly has not addressed the issue of Taiwan’s representation in the UN and its peripheral organizations, or taken a position on China’s relationship with Taiwan or Taiwan’s sovereignty. Former US ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft in August criticized Resolution 2758 for blocking Taiwan’s participation in the UN.
Looking at the resolution today, 50 years later, it is difficult not to blame Chiang, who insisted that “gentlemen will not stand together with thieves.” The background of the resolution was that the US wanted to reconcile with China and establish diplomatic ties with Beijing. While neither Chiang nor China would accept dual representation, Chiang’s insistence and misjudgement were mainly what led to the UN switching recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China — and what enabled the China of today to gain control of several UN organizations.
Withdrawal of the UN’s recognition led Taiwan to become isolated from the international community. Taiwan was cut off from the UN system, and its government agencies gradually lost their grasp on, and their ability to participate in, the operations of international organizations, international law, international rules and international negotiations.
This is not conducive to diplomacy, hinders the cultivation of talent, and makes it difficult to align domestic laws with international laws.
While Taiwan is generally outward looking, the isolation has fed an inward-looking and closed-minded attitude. Local politics tend to be characterized by internal struggles behind closed doors. Insufficient attention is paid to changes in the outside world, which could lead to a disregard of external trade.
This state of affairs must change. Taiwan should take advantage of favorable international circumstances, and forge unbreakable ties with international friends and allies.
As neither Taiwan nor the “one China” principle are part of Resolution 2758, the Cabinet and the Legislative Yuan should loudly and clearly declare to the world that it is unjust and unreasonable to keep Taiwan from participating in the UN and other international organizations, and that doing so is detrimental to the global community.
The government must tell the world that neither Taiwan nor China has jurisdiction over the other, that the US’ “one China” policy is not the same as China’s “one China” principle and that the only problem is the Chinese Communist Party’s ambition to annex democratic Taiwan.
It is time for Taiwanese to cast off the “one China” illusion: Everything from Chiang’s idea of “representing the people on mainland China” to the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) false “1992 consensus” must be swept into the dustbin of history before Taiwan can step out on the global stage with a normal mindset and identity.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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