U.S. slams 'misuse' of U.N. resolution as Beijing's coercion against Taiwan

Washington, March 7 (CNA) The United States has called out China and accused it of making "coercive efforts" to exclude Taiwan from the international community with the "misuse" of United Nations Resolution 2758.

"Intentional misuse and mischaracterization of UNGA resolution 2758 is part of China's broader coercive efforts to isolate Taiwan from the international community," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said on Friday (Washington time).

The resolution "puts no limits on any country's sovereign choice to engage substantively with Taiwan," and it "does not preclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other multilateral fora," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson was responding to CNA's request for comments on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's (王毅) use of the U.N. resolution to assert Beijing's territorial claims over Taiwan during a news conference in Beijing earlier that day.

The resolution has "addressed the issue of representation for all of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations," China's top diplomat said following the "Two Sessions" meetings, the most important annual gathering for the China's legislature and top government advisory body.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has meanwhile lodged its protest, calling Wang's claims "absurd" and "false," while describing them as an attempt to "deceive and mislead the international community."

MOFA said the resolution did not mention Taiwan or authorize the People's Republic of China (PRC) to represent Taiwan and its people in the U.N. and affiliated agencies.

It also urged the global community to "reject China's repeated misinterpretation of the resolution."

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China's representation in the U.N. and resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) being replaced by the PRC.

The resolution, however, did not mention Taiwan or even the ROC by name.