The Presidential Office today thanked the UK House of Commons after it unanimously voted to reject China’s “distortion of the international law around Taiwan” to undermine its participation in international organizations, including the UN.
The motion followed a debate in the chamber yesterday on Taiwan’s international status.
It is the fifth legislative body to condemn Beijing's interpretation of UN Resolution 2758, following Australia, Canada, The Netherlands and the EU.
Photo: UK parliament / AFP
The House said that UN Resolution 2758 passed on Oct. 25, 1971 — which states that the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the only legitimate government of China — does not mention Taiwan and therefore does not establish PRC sovereignty over Taiwan or define its political status.
The chamber urged the UK government to clarify its position that nothing in international law forbids Taiwan’s participation in international organizations such as the UN.
Lawmakers also called for the condemnation of PRC officials' efforts to “distort” the resolution in support of Beijing’s “one China” principle and alter historic documents to “change the name of the country from Taiwan to Taiwan, province of China.”
Taiwan’s government and people are sincerely thankful to the UK parliament and government for their continued support, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement today.
The nation vows to stand with its democratic allies in defending their shared values of freedom, democracy and human rights, she added.
Yesterday’s debate was held by Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China member and Labour Party lawmaker Blair McDougall, who proposed the motion to “back the democratic rights of the people of Taiwan.”
The UK continues to be a "staunch advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful international participation" in bodies including the UN and the World Health Assembly, UK Foreign Office Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West said yesterday.
The UK government should condemn any attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to “rewrite history,” as this behavior does not benefit Taiwanese, the interests of the UK or the wider international community, West added.
In the debate, McDougall said that “diplomatic technicalities on an issue as fraught as the status of Taiwan could have far-reaching consequences for the entire world,” citing the importance of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, shipping routes and geopolitical position.
The economic toll of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be felt in every household in the UK, he added.
McDougall also stressed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine serves as a stark reminder to “form policy on a crisis before the crisis emerges,” he said.
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