Taiwan Doesn’t Belong to China, Says Taiwanese Legislator in California

Taiwanese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area hold a panel to call for the admission of Taiwan to the United Nations in San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 10. Nathan Su/The Epoch Times

A Taiwanese legislator reiterated that Taiwan is an independent nation from China at a panel in California.

Ahead of this year’s United Nations General Assembly, Taiwanese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area held a rally and community panel on Aug. 10, calling for Taiwan’s membership in the global body. The 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to take place from Sept. 10 to 24 in New York.

Chuang Jui-Hsiung, a Taiwanese legislator, addressed Taiwan’s exclusion from the U.N. at the panel. He criticized China’s ongoing efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

“Taiwan belongs to the world, not China,” Mr. Chuang said and urged Taiwanese Americans to continue advocating for Taiwan’s legitimate membership in the United Nations.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of U.N. Resolution 2758, which was adopted during the 1976th U.N. plenary meeting in October 1971.

Resolution 2758 decided “that the representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations” and “to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”

Chiang Kai-shek was the president of the Republic of China, also known as Taiwan, in 1971.

There was no statement in Resolution 2758 related to Taiwan’s sovereignty, nor did it specify how Taiwan could be represented in the United Nations. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has unilaterally claimed Taiwan as part of its territory.

Chuang said that Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN is primarily due to the CCP’s efforts to suppress Taiwan’s international presence. He emphasized that Taiwan, a democratic nation since 1996, should aspire to align with free and democratic societies rather than an authoritarian China. Chuang also called for stronger ties between Taiwan and the United States and greater global visibility for Taiwan.

John Chu, deputy director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, echoed Chuang’s sentiments, accusing the CCP of distorting Resolution 2758 to block Taiwan from participating in international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and INTERPOL.

Chu noted that Taiwanese citizens and journalists are barred from entering the United Nations with Taiwanese passports, which he called unjust. He reaffirmed that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign state represented only by a democratically elected government.

Sophia Chuang, Director of Taiwan’s Culture Center in San Francisco, also addressed the gathering. She said that the U.N. Charter mandates peaceful resolution of international disputes and condemned the CCP’s provocative actions in the Taiwan Strait as violations of the Charter.

John Hsieh, president of the Love of Taiwan Association, reflected on his nearly 50 years of advocating for Taiwan’s U.N. membership. He said that despite years of effort, the Taiwanese Olympic team was still unable to display their national flag during this year’s opening ceremony in France.

The panel discussion event drew nearly 100 attendees from various Taiwanese American organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area.