The motion rebuked China’s distortion of U.N. Resolution 2758 of 1971.
The Dutch House of Representatives adopted a motion on Thursday supporting Taiwan’s sovereignty and participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations.
The motion was
passed by a 147–3 vote in the Tweede Kamer, which is the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch Parliament. The
motion, led by Dutch MP Jan Paternotte, stated that U.N. Resolution 2758 of 1971 “does not rule that the People’s Republic of China enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it make any judgment on the future participation of Taiwan in the United Nations or other international organizations.”
On Oct. 25, 1971, Taiwan was removed as a permanent member of the United Nations after the General Assembly
voted to pass Resolution 2758. China’s communist regime subsequently took Taiwan’s U.N. seat.
For years, Taiwan’s foreign ministry has been calling out China for misinterpreting the resolution’s language. In a
statement earlier this month, the ministry said China has been trying to mislead the world into accepting that the resolution is equivalent to its “one China principle” and gives it the right to represent Taiwan in the U.N. system.
Many countries, including the United States, have a “one China policy,” which asserts that there is only one sovereign state with the name “China,” but it is different from the “one China principle” under which the Chinese regime asserts sovereignty over Taiwan.
"U.N. Resolution 2758 has been used for far too long as a tool to block Taiwan’s rightful representation in the global arena,” said Paternotte, a member of the Dutch Democrats 66 party, in a
statement released by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
“It’s time to reassess how we interpret this resolution and ensure that it is no longer misused to silence a vibrant democracy. This motion, which the Netherlands has just passed, aims to open the door for Taiwanese participation, and we will not let Beijing close that door any longer.”
The motion also called on Dutch officials at the U.N. General Assembly to promote Taiwan’s future participation in the U.N. or other international organizations, such as the WHO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Additionally, the motion
called for an EU-wide effort to support Taiwan’s representation in U.N. organizations.
2758 Initiative
Paternotte is one of the two Dutch co-chairs of the IPAC,
an alliance of hundreds of lawmakers from around the world. The IPAC held a summit in Taipei in July, attended by about 50 lawmakers from 24 legislatures, including Paternotte.
During the summit, IPAC members voted to launch the
2758 Initiative, pledging to pass resolutions in their own parliaments “to reject Beijing’s distortion of U.N. General Assembly resolution 2758 and international law regarding Taiwan’s status.”
Australia became the
first nation to follow through with the 2758 Initiative on Aug. 21, when the Australian Senate unanimously
passed an urgency motion.
On Sept. 13, Taiwan’s foreign ministry issued a
statement thanking Dutch lawmakers for passing the motion.
“It was highly significant that the motion was approved while the 79th session of the UNGA was being convened. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly affirms and sincerely appreciates the passage of the motion,” the ministry stated.
The 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA 79)
opened on Sept. 10 and lasts until Sept. 30.
“These resolutions passing represent an important restatement of government policy regarding Taiwan,” Chen Gau-tzu of the Taiwan People’s Party said in a
statement about the Dutch and Australian motions on Sept. 12.
“They show that the world will not stand idly by as international law is distorted, and Taiwan’s standing is further diminished. They are also an essential awareness-raising tool,” Chen said.
Taiwan officially
joined the IPAC in July, with Chen and Fan Yun from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party serving as co-chairs of the island’s legislature in the group.
“Taiwan will work with our democratic allies to safeguard democracy and resist the Chinese Communist Party’s oppression,” Fan
wrote on her Facebook page on Sept. 13.
Last year, CIA Director William Burns
said CCP leader Xi Jinping had instructed his military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
