Two members of the US House of Representatives on Thursday urged the US government to support UN membership for Taiwan.
In a letter addressed to US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Republican Representatives Scott Perry and Tom Tiffany called on the ambassador to “use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to secure Taiwan’s ascension.”
Tiffany posted the letter on Twitter ahead of the UN General Assembly, which is to take place from Tuesday next week to Sept. 21 in New York, with the option of virtual participation over COVID-19 concerns.
Photo: AFP
The US administration should “ensure that Taiwan is fully invested with the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as a UN member state,” the letter said.
The lawmakers also asked the ambassador to detail in a response how Washington plans to assist Taiwan’s inclusion as a UN member state.
Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN would be “a victory for democracy and the rules-based international order,” the lawmakers said.
“It is beyond the pale that we allow our fear of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] to dictate our foreign policy and allow the UN body — dominated by the influence of the Chinese Communist Party — to repeatedly reject Taiwan’s requests to formally join the UN,” the letter said.
“No cogent or logical argument can be made for Taiwan’s 50-year exclusion from the UN,” it said, adding that Taiwan ranks near the top 20 economies in the world, and is the 10th-largest trading partner of the US.
Taiwan, as the Republic of China, left the UN in 1971, when the PRC took its place, and has since been excluded from its special agencies.
Taiwan has over the years campaigned for its participation in the activities, mechanisms and meetings of the UN.
As part of this year’s efforts, the government would again ask diplomatic allies to voice support for the nation’s inclusion in the UN, either by speaking up during the General Assembly or by sending letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
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