Taiwan to explain Resolution 2758 to U.N. member states: MOFA

Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) Taiwan's government intends to help the international community better understand United Nations Resolution 2758 this year so that Beijing can no longer misuse it to exclude Taiwan from the U.N. system, a senior Taiwanese diplomat said Tuesday.

Speaking during a press event announcing this year's strategy in pushing for Taiwan's inclusion at the U.N., Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said that Taiwan will again invite diplomatic allies to speak up for the country during the upcoming U.N. General Debate, as has been the country's approach since 1993.

Taiwan will also again ask these allies' permanent representatives to the U.N. to submit a joint letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antόnio Guterres urging him to rectify the U.N.'s "erroneous interpretation of Resolution 2758."

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China's representation at the international body.

It resulted in Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China (ROC), losing its seat at the U.N. to the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan has since been excluded from participating in the international organization and its affiliates.

Repeating MOFA's argument, Tien said Resolution 2758 only addresses the issue of China's representation at the U.N. and does not mention Taiwan at all.

"The resolution does not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the U.N. system, nor does it mention that Taiwan is part of the PRC," he explained.

The government is thus calling on the U.N. to actively stop China from undermining Taiwan's participation in international organizations by distorting the meaning of Resolution 2758.

Taiwan will also call on the U.N. to find ways to allow Taiwan to participate in its meetings so that the country can contribute to U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, Tien said.

Moreover, the U.N. should "uphold neutrality" and "stop misusing" Resolution 2758 as a pretense to prevent Taiwan passport holders from entering U.N. facilities, he added.

Asked why Taiwan is focused on explaining Resolution 2758 this year, Tien said that Nauru cited the resolution when it broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan earlier this year. The island country in Micronesia said its decision was made "on the grounds of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the 'one China principle.'"

Tien argued that if Taiwan does not clarify U.N. member states' understanding of the resolution soon, "the cross-strait status quo that neither Taiwan nor the PRC is subordinate to the other will be overturned by the PRC."

The PRC will likely continue to distort the resolution before ultimately using it as a legal pretense to use force against Taiwan by labeling cross-strait issue as an domestic dispute, he added.

Meanwhile, in support of Taiwan's participation in the global body, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) promoted an article titled "To secure peace in the Indo-Pacific, include Taiwan in the U.N. system."

The 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to commence at U.N. Headquarters in New York on Sept. 10, with the General Debate to be held from Sept. 24 to 28 and 30.