August 26, 2022
Regarding the inappropriate response of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations following a joint statement issued by Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies calling for peace across the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) solemnly responds as follows:
Recently, China has unjustifiably used various pretexts to create tensions through provocative actions such as military exercises in the waters and airspace around Taiwan. This has posed serious challenges to security across the Taiwan Strait and to regional peace, eliciting great concern among Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, democratic partners, and the international community. China denounced the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies because of their concerns about the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. After the Permanent Representatives issued a joint statement supporting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, China strongly criticized it and ramped up intimidation. China has turned a blind eye to the serious concerns expressed by the international community. Its repeated and provocative military actions clearly violate the UN principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes and blatantly trample on the spirit of the UN Charter. China’s boorish and heavy-handed acts are unacceptable to civilized countries that uphold the rule of law, and MOFA condemns these acts in the strongest terms.
MOFA reiterates that neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. This is an objective fact recognized by the international community. China has employed military intimidation against Taiwan and other countries, attempting to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and seriously violating Taiwan’s rights under international law. China’s actions have also interfered with the busiest sea and air routes in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as with regular business activity. Moreover, China has maliciously violated the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force, contravening the principles of international law regarding the peaceful settlement of disputes. The Chinese government’s irresponsible and provocative actions not only exacerbate cross-strait animosity, they also undermine the rules-based international order, seriously threatening security across the Taiwan Strait and imperiling regional peace and stability.
The government of Taiwan emphasizes that Resolution 2758, passed by the UN General Assembly in 1971, merely addressed China’s representation in the United Nations. It did not authorize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to represent Taiwan in the UN system, nor did it specify that Taiwan was part of China. However, China continues to erroneously interpret UNGA Resolution 2758, falsely linking it to the so-called “one China principle” and exerting long-term pressure on the UN system to improperly exclude Taiwan. This is a clear attempt by China to use schemes to annex Taiwan. MOFA once again reiterates that Taiwan is a democratic country and that only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent Taiwan’s 23.5 million people in international organizations such as the United Nations. The Chinese Communist Party, which has never ruled Taiwan, has no say in the matter.
China continues to escalate military intimidation and hybrid attacks against Taiwan, as well as persisting in its erroneous interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 in the UN system. This once again confirms that the Beijing authorities are the ones responsible for deliberately undermining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the international order. It is a well-established fact, commonly recognized by the international community, that neither side of the Taiwan Strait is subordinate to the other and that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will neither escalate conflicts nor provoke disputes. Rather, it will respond calmly and resolutely to safeguard its sovereignty and national security. Taiwan sincerely thanks its diplomatic allies and the international community for continuing to express support of democratic Taiwan and for their concerns about peace across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan will continue working with democratic partners to stop authoritarian expansion and aggression, to uphold the rules-based international order, and to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Related links:
1. Statement by the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations in response to the joint statement issued by Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies
http://un.china-mission.gov.cn/hyyfy/202208/t20220824_10750365.htm
2. Joint statement issued by Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies
http://svg-un.org/joint-statement-on-peace-and-stability-in-the-taiwan-strait-and-beyond