US officials who visited Taiwan earlier this week met with foreign representatives and told them that UN Resolution 2758 does not involve Taiwan nor should it be conflated with China’s “one China” principle, sources said yesterday.
UN Resolution 2758 recognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China in 1971. Beijing has been misrepresenting it to exclude Taiwan from the international organization and its affiliates.
A representative to Taiwan, requesting anonymity, quoted the US officials as saying during a meeting that as long as it is not specified in UN Resolution 2758, “everything is feasible” with regard to Taiwan pursuing a breakthrough in its external relations.
Photo: Reuters
Another representative to Taiwan, who also wished to remain anonymous, said that the US government would vary its approaches to help Taiwan build ties.
For example, the US could play the role of intermediary with countries that have a US embassy and a Taiwanese embassy or representative office, to help reinforce the relationships between Taiwan and these countries or develop multilateral relationships, the representative said.
Two US deputy assistant secretaries of state visited Taiwan on Thursday, without attracting the media’s attention, both sources said.
They met with foreign representatives to Taiwan to discuss how to increase the nation’s international participation and boost its collaboration with countries in the region, the sources said.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Taiwan’s 12 allies, as well as those from other like-minded nations, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, the EU, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland and the UK, the sources said.
Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on May 29 condemned China for mischaracterizing the resolution and “wrongly asserts that it reflects an international consensus for its ‘one China’ principle.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment yesterday on the reported meeting between US officials and foreign representatives in Taiwan.
However, it said in a news release that the Taiwan-US working group on international organization issues was held in Taipei on Friday.
Constructive discussions were had about how to assist Taiwan in engaging in the UN system and other international organizations, the ministry said.
It said it deeply appreciates the US’ firm support for Taiwan’s engagement in the world.
The US recognized Taiwan’s excellent capabilities and ability to assist with the emerging challenges facing public health, food security, flight safety and climate change, and said it would support Taiwan to meaningfully participate in the UN system, including the WHO and International Civil Aviation Organization, the ministry said.
The US and Taiwan agreed to continue to collaborate closely and use creative approaches to consolidate international support, it added.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting