News
Allies voice support for Taiwan's inclusion at UN
Representatives from four of Taiwan's diplomatic allies have spoken up in support of the island's participation in the United Nations at the global body's General Assembly in New York.
The calls came during the Summit of the Future - which was hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and saw representatives deliver speeches on important global issues.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, Palau President Surangel S Whipps, Eswatini's Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, and Paraguay's President Santiago Pena all called for Taiwan's participation in the UN system.
Heine highlighted Taiwan's role as a "key partner" to the Marshall Islands, saying that important partnership deserves appropriate recognition and that If we are to truly 'leave no one behind, then Taiwan deserves meaningful and enhanced participation in the UN system.
Whipps, described Taiwan's absence from the international organization and its specialized agencies as being "ironic" given the theme of this year's General Assembly is "Leaving no one behind" and he went to blame Taiwan's absence from the UN as being due to a "misinterpretation" of Resolution 2758. Eswatini's prime minister cited Taiwan "contributes to global public health, economic development and technological innovation" and called for Taiwan's "meaningful participation in international organizations" while Paraguay's president stressed the need for countries such Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to be respected and treated with dignity.
Meanwhile, President Lai Ching-te has admonished Beijing for "distorting" UN Resolution 2758 to justify its territorial claims over Taiwan and to deny the island participation in the United Nations system.
In a pre-recorded message to delegates at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in New York, Lai said Beijing's twisting of the resolution is aimed at supporting and promoting its 'one China principle.' Lai said Beijing is falsely claiming that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China and that it has no right to participate in the U-N system and other international agencies. The president added "democratic Taiwan and authoritarian China are not subordinate to each other."
He also urged other democratic nations to support democratic institutions worldwide and "counter authoritarian aggression," including China's military intimidation in the Taiwan Strait and East and South China Seas as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In related news, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked US President Joe Biden for reiterating Washington's commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and countering military coercion in the South China Sea in key international forums this past week. President Biden made the remark during meetings with the leaders of Australia and Japan, as well as in his United Nations General Assembly Speech, which he gave yesterday. MOFA emphasized that Taiwan will continue to collaborate with like-minded partners to safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the broader region.
