China is mischaracterizing UN Resolution 2758 for its own interests by conflating it with its “one China” principle, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Taiwan Mark Lambert said on Monday.
Speaking at a seminar held by the German Marshall Fund, Lambert called for support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community at a time when China is increasingly misusing Resolution 2758.
The resolution had a clear impact when it changed who occupied the China seat at the UN, Lambert said.
Photo: CNA
“Today, however, the PRC [People’s Republic of China] increasingly mischaracterizes and misuses Resolution 2758 to serve its own interests,” Lambert said.
“Beijing mischaracterizes the resolution by falsely conflating it with China’s ‘one China’ principle, and wrongly asserts that it reflects an international consensus for its ‘one China’ principle,” he added.
Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971 to solve the issue of China’s representation in the UN system. It ultimately led to the UN expelling the Republic of China, and the PRC taking its place.
The resolution passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the PRC as the “only lawful representative of China.”
However, the governments of Taiwan and the US have repeatedly said that it does not mention Taiwan, does not state that Taiwan is part of the PRC, and does not explicitly authorize Beijing to represent Taiwan in the UN system.
Lambert said the “one China” principle refers specifically to China’s position that it claims Taiwan to be part of China.
“To be clear, Resolution 2758 has absolutely no bearing on countries’ sovereign choices with respect to their relationships with Taiwan. Such decisions are clearly outside of the UN General Assembly’s purview to dictate,” he said.
Lambert emphasized that China was aiming to influence decisions made by partner countries regarding their relationships with Taiwan by conflating Resolution 2758 with its “one China” principle.
The resolution does not constitute an institutional UN position on the political status of Taiwan, and does not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system and other multilateral fora, he said.
“Through its misuse of Resolution 2758, China has denied the international community the ability to gain from Taiwan’s valuable contributions to global challenges, which require us all to work together,” Lambert said.
He said that a good step would be inviting Taiwan to participate as an observer in the World Health Assembly slated for next month so that it could join efforts in fighting emerging health threats and planning for global health challenges.
Had Taiwan been able to share its knowledge of public health ahead of the COVID-19 outbreak, “the world might have been a very different place. Taiwan’s exclusion from key international fora has a direct negative impact on the well-being of the global community,” Lambert said.
Meanwhile, US Representative John Moolenaar, the new chair of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in a video on Monday vowed to deter Chinese military aggression against Taiwan.
Moolenaar said he would continue to counter Chinese efforts to “weaken America,” citing its use of TikTok to “indoctrinate our children,” buying farmland and setting up secret police stations abroad.
As a first priority, Moolenaar said that the committee would “work tirelessly to deter CCP military aggression against Taiwan and our allies in the Indo-Pacific.”
It would also work to prevent the CCP from stealing technology and harassing people on US soil, while examining how to reduce supply chain reliance on China, he said.
Additionally, “we will continue to promote engagement and partnerships with allies around the world,” Moolenaar said as the video showed footage of him shaking hands with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Additional reporting by Kayleigh Madjar
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College