On July 18th at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the Kingdom of Eswatini, a diplomatic ally of the Republic of China (Taiwan), presented its Voluntary National Review (VNR) report mentioning Taiwan’s contributions. However, once again, the Chinese (Communist) delegation to the United Nations distorted Resolution 2758, maliciously linking it to the so-called “One China principle.” In response, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York issued a strong statement refuting these misrepresentations.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office reiterated that Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan in its entirety, only determining the representation of China at the United Nations. The resolution does not recognize Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China; the government of the PRC has no authority to represent the 23.5 million people of Taiwan. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent its people in international organizations, and the PRC government has no right to interfere in this matter. Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign independent nation and has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. The international community recognizes the objective fact that democratic Taiwan and authoritarian China are not subordinate to each other, as well as the current situation in the Taiwan Strait.
UN member states have the right to determine their diplomatic relations with other countries. The unilateral attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose the so-called “One China principle” on other countries and international organizations violate the sovereignty and political independence of other nations, flagrantly violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. By deliberately manipulating international facts, China seeks to bully the international community and only serves to increase the resentment and aversion of the Taiwanese people and the international community towards the CCP.
Taiwan is an indispensable partner in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals globally. The positive contributions brought by Taiwan as a force for international goodwill are widely recognized by the international community. The aspiration and consensus of all Taiwanese people are to meaningfully participate in the UN system and contribute to the international community. China’s unilateral distortion and misuse of Resolution 2758 not only deprives Taiwan of its right to participate in the international community but also harms the opportunity for the international community to benefit from Taiwan’s contributions. This action seriously violates the UN’s principles of universality and the spirit of leaving no one behind, a condemnation strongly expressed by the government of the Republic of China.