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Taiwan seeks voice at UN General Assembly in New York
September 10, 2022
TAIPEI - With China continuing to conduct military exercises around Taiwan, Taiwan's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, is leading a push for Taiwan to be given a voice at the 77th General Assembly meeting of the United Nations in New York, starting next week (September 13).
"The global community is confronting a number of unprecedented crises," says Wu, "from the ongoing challenge of COVID-19 variants and stalled efforts on climate change to supply chain disruptions and Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
"Now more than ever, China's increasing rhetorical and military intimidation is jeopardising regional peace and stability.
"It is worth reminding UN leaders that all people --including the 23.5 million people of Taiwan -- deserve to have their voices heard and to be part of the collaborative effort to tackle challenges for the global good."
Wu points out that, as the world's 22nd-largest economy in terms of GDP, and a major semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan plays a key role in global supply chains.
Accusing China of using coercion to export its brand of authoritarianism abroad, he says the PRC is "deliberately conflating" its "One China" principle with the resolution that determined who represents "China" in the (United Nations) some 50 years ago.
"Beijing is spreading the fallacy that Taiwan is a part of the PRC," he says. "Such claims are false. The long-term status quo is that the ROC (Taiwan) and the PRC are separate jurisdictions, with neither subordinate to the other.
"The people of Taiwan can only be represented in the international community by their free and democratically- elected government."
Wu says Beijing's recent "dangerous military maneouvres" around Taiwan undermine the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, escalating tensions, impacting international trade and transportation, and putting regional peace and security at risk.
"Such irresponsible actions need to be condemned and brought to a halt," he says.
"The theme of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly pointedly reminds us of the grave challenges facing the international community.
"Taiwan is more than willing and able to be part of joint solutions. And the 23.5 million resilient Taiwanese people surely should not be excluded from such important global efforts."
