More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years.
The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758.
Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from participating in the international organization and its affiliates.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Wu Chun-cheng’s office
Saturday’s rally attracted many young Taiwanese expats as well as international students, and event-organizers said that more than 500 people participated in the event, more than in the past few years.
Last year, about 300 people took part in the event, while the number was about 250 in 2022.
Participants gathered on Saturday afternoon in front of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in midtown Manhattan to join the March for Taiwan, under the theme of “United and Marching Forward, Supporting Taiwan’s Entry into the UN.”
Photo courtesy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York via CNA
The march was led by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城) and crossed midtown to end at the New York Public Library.
Participants distributed flyers and materials advocating for Taiwan’s entry to the UN, and chanted slogans such as “Keep Taiwan Free” and “UN for Taiwan.”
The 79th UN General Assembly opened on Tuesday last week under the theme of “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York Director Tom Lee (李志強) said the primary task in this year’s march was to help the international community correctly understand the content of Resolution 2758 and call on the international body to include Taiwan’s contribution to its sustainable development goals.
“It is important for the international community to understand that China’s interpretation of Resolution 2758 does not equate to the real 2758 and has no bearing on Taiwan’s status,” Lee said, adding that the goal is for Taiwan to engage with the UN fairly and appropriately.
After reaching the New York Public Library, Taiwanese lawmakers participating in the event from across the political spectrum expressed thanks to those who joined the march, reiterated their support for Taiwan’s UN inclusion and emphasized the need for unity.
Taiwan’s diplomatic approach on the world stage needs to be unified and nuanced, and the government should work with the overseas Taiwanese community, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) said.
The visiting legislators also engaged in activities with officials from Paraguay and Tuvalu, diplomatic allies of Taiwan.
Resolution 2758 provides Taiwan an opportunity for more meaningful participation in UN affairs and greater welfare for its people, Tiunn said.
On Saturday, there were also advertisements and billboards in Times Square about the nation’s UN bid and tourism.
Earlier this month, the Australian parliament passed a motion stating that the resolution does not prohibit Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, nor does it affirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the Dutch House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution stating that Resolution 2758 does not involve Taiwan, making it the first parliamentary body in Europe to approve such a motion.
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session yesterday while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival- threatening
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
RSS