Strait Talk: Taiwan needs inclusion in the UN system

Lin Chia-lung

Taiwan is an indispensable partner in global supply chains, producing over 90 per cent of the world’s high-end semiconductors and a significant portion of the advanced chips that are driving the AI revolution. Moreover, half of the world’s seaborne trade passes through the Taiwan Strait, making it a key international waterway. Yet even though large parts of the world—and billions of people—have enjoyed great prosperity thanks to the peace and stability that prevails across the strait, China continues to intensify its aggressive actions against Taiwan. Beijing’s attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and expand authoritarianism throughout the Indo-Pacific region are a profound threat to peace and security all around the world.

In recent years, global leaders have used both bilateral and multilateral occasions—including G7, EU, NATO, and ASEAN meetings—to highlight the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. However, despite being aware of the importance of reducing tensions in the region, the United Nations (UN) has yet to take action to address the challenges posed by the PRC or to incorporate Taiwan in the UN system. As new approaches to engaging with Taiwan have emerged in the global community, yielding huge global benefits, the idea that there must be a choice between the PRC and Taiwan in the UN system is a false dichotomy. Now is the right time for the UN to evolve and to rethink its unjustified policies that exclude Taiwan.

The first and most urgent task that the UN must address is to stop succumbing to the PRC’s pressure and refrain from distorting UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 any further. By wilfully misrepresenting Resolution 2758 and falsely conflating it with its own “one China principle,” which differs from the “one China policy” adopted by many countries, the PRC has relentlessly suppressed Taiwan’s legitimate right to meaningfully participate in the UN and its specialised agencies.

This misrepresentation has far-reaching consequences beyond denying Taiwanese citizens and journalists access to UN premises and preventing them from visiting, attending meetings, and engaging in news-gathering. In fact, Beijing’s tactic of weaponising Resolution 2758 to spread the fallacy that Taiwan is part of the PRC is one of the key elements in a wider campaign to establish the legal basis for justifying a future armed invasion of Taiwan. Yet, contrary to the PRC’s false claims, Resolution 2758 merely addresses the issue of China’s representation in the UN. It does not mention Taiwan. It neither states that Taiwan is part of the PRC nor ascribes to the PRC any right to represent Taiwan in the UN system. In other words, the resolution has nothing to do with Taiwan.

This case is illustrative of the PRC’s growing assertiveness in imposing its will on the international stage. And if left unchallenged and uncorrected, Beijing’s false claims will not only alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait but also jeopardise peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and threaten the rules-based international order.

Thankfully, in recent months, several senior US officials have criticised the PRC’s distortion of Resolution 2758 to justify its spurious claim over Taiwan. Furthermore, on July 30, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international organisation comprising over 250 members of parliament from 38 countries and the EU, demonstrated concrete support for Taiwan by passing a model resolution on Resolution 2758. To maintain international peace and security as outlined in the UN Charter, the UN must return to and encourage a correct interpretation of Resolution 2758 and explore means of resisting the PRC’s aggressive ambitions.

The PRC’s expansionism will not stop at Taiwan. Recent regulations introduced by the China Coast Guard are part of a broader gray-zone tactic designed to reinforce the PRC’s specious territorial claims and expand its influence. By introducing rules that justify the boarding and detaining of vessels and allow individuals to enter disputed maritime areas, Beijing aims to assert control over international waters and challenge global norms and claims. To ensure global peace and economic stability, the UN and the international community must not only reaffirm their concerns about Beijing’s coercive behavior but also work together to prevent its unlawful schemes.

History has shown that democratic resolve must be demonstrated ahead of time—before it is too late. As the world’s foremost forum for international cooperation, the UN system is ideally positioned to address regional security challenges and support global economic stability. The upcoming 79th UNGA and its Summit of the Future present a timely opportunity to address key security concerns while advancing the broader goals of global sustainable development and building a more resilient global community for current and future generations.

Over many decades, Taiwan has proven to be a responsible and reliable partner to those it has worked with. More recently, we have also made significant contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Embracing Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system would undoubtedly be the UN’s best option for mitigating any potential regional crisis, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and spurring global prosperity.

Looking ahead, Taiwan will continue to play its part. Working with like-minded countries to maintain healthy and resilient global supply chains— particularly in the semiconductor industry—Taiwan is determined to help power the world forward for many more decades to come.

For a more secure and better world, the UN system needs to include Taiwan.