The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Department of China Affairs today condemned China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying’s (華春瑩) latest comments on UN Resolution 2758, adding that the people of Taiwan would not accept China’s “blatant and egregious” bullying.
German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, meanwhile, yesterday discussed Taiwan with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅), invoking the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force to resolve international disputes, to refute China’s misuse and misinterpretation of Resolution 2758, Representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said in a social media post.
Hua addressed the Third Forum on Developing Countries and International Law in Beijing on Thursday last week.
Photo: Reuters
Any individual or any country that attempts to distort or hollow out UN Resolution 2758 is “violating China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” in a “flagrant provocation of post-war international order,” Hua said.
Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, states that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the only legitimate government of China, a move which enabled it to replace the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan’s official name, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
China continues to misinterpret, misuse and distort Resolution 2758 to serve its political agenda, the DPP Department of China Affairs said today.
Resolution 2758 covers the PRC’s right to represent China in the UN, and was used to replace the ROC under former ROC president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), which then claimed to represent China, on the Security Council, it said.
It does not, however, make any claims concerning Taiwan’s sovereignty or state that Taiwan, or any other individuals, cannot be represented in the UN, it added.
Moreover, the resolution does not restrict any country's sovereign right to engage in relations with Taiwan, nor does it exclude Taiwan from participating in the UN or other international bodies, the department said.
China is attempting to manipulate the international community and spread the false narrative that “Taiwan is part of China,” by using phrases such as “violating China’s sovereignty” and “defending international law,” it said.
The PRC wishes to limit Taiwan’s space in the international community, block its participation in international bodies and eliminate its sovereign status, it added.
Taiwan has the right to self-identification and a sense of international responsibility, the DPP said, adding that Taiwan would continue to uphold the values of democracy, freedom and human rights, while contributing to global freedom, rule of law and sustainable development.
It would continue to participate in global forums and initiatives to fulfil its responsibilities and commitments to the international community, it said.
In other news, Shieh said in a post on Facebook that Wadephul, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, yesterday met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang.
At the eighth round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security in Berlin, Wadephul said, “The UN Charter prohibits the use of force to resolve disputes, which also applies to the Taiwan Strait,” Shieh said in the post.
Shieh said that after many years working as a representative in Germany, he was relieved and grateful to finally hear those words.
Germany publicly refuted China’s misinterpretation and misuse of Resolution 2758 by invoking the UN Charter, he added.
Although Germany maintains a “one China” policy, Shieh quoted Wadepuhl as saying that “if tensions in Taiwan or the South China Sea were to escalate out of control, it would affect the interests of the entire world, including Europe and Germany.”
“Any changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait may only occur peacefully and with mutual agreement from both sides,” he added.
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