Austria urges direct use of Taiwan to avoid diplomatic ambiguity.

Austrian Foreign Ministry Political Director Wu Chih-chung accepted an exclusive interview with mainstream Austrian newspaper *Die Presse* on the 26th of this month. Regarding Austria's upcoming term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council next year, he expressed expectations for Taiwan to have a voice on the international stage. Wu pointed out that while maintaining close economic and political relations with China, Austria should not neglect exchanges and interactions with Taiwan. Especially within the Security Council—the highest international security decision-making body—Austria should have the courage to directly use the term "Taiwan" to avoid diminishing the transparency and substantive discussion space of issues due to the avoidance of specific terminology.

The United Nations Security Council is composed of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The permanent members hold veto power, while the non-permanent members rotate on two-year terms. Austria has sought this seat multiple times since the 1990s and ultimately secured a sufficient majority in the 2024 vote, with its term expected to run from 2025 to 2026. As a key Central European nation, Austria has long been known within the European Union for its neutrality and diversified diplomacy, and has historically played an active role in international human rights and peacekeeping issues. Its impending entry into the core of the Security Council will inevitably subject it to more complex cross-strait and great power rivalries.

Taiwan's international status has long been constrained by the framework of the "One China" policy. Following United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971, Taiwan lost its official seat in the UN and has been forced to use roundabout designations such as the "Republic of China" or "Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu" in most international organizational settings. In recent years, as the United States and some Western countries have heightened their focus on Taiwan under their Indo-Pacific strategies, Taiwan's international visibility in fields such as public health, technology, and human rights has increased, though it remains marginalized at the Security Council level. Wu's call to "bravely say Taiwan" is an appeal for non-permanent members to refer to Taiwan by its real name when discussing issues involving cross-strait security, freedom of navigation, or humanitarian aid, thereby preventing the authenticity of these issues from being undermined by ambiguous language.

Beijing is highly sensitive to the use of the term "Taiwan" in any international setting, viewing it as a challenge to its sovereignty position. In the past, during the UN General Assembly or other multilateral platforms, when other countries or delegations used the term "Taiwan," the Chinese side frequently responded by lodging protests, demanding corrections, or directly requesting changes in wording. If Austria officially uses the term "Taiwan" in the Security Council, it will inevitably provoke diplomatic protests from Beijing and could even create a voting standoff between the United States and China within the Council. For Austria, striking a balance between maintaining economic and trade cooperation with Beijing and fulfilling its friendly commitments to Taiwan will become a major test for its foreign policy.

Taiwan has responded positively to expectations regarding Austria. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei stated that if Austria can explicitly mention Taiwan in the Security Council, it will help enhance Taiwan's visibility on international security issues while also setting an example for other countries facing similar diplomatic predicaments. Taiwan continues to strengthen economic, technological, and cultural cooperation with European countries, hoping to reduce its dependence on any single major power through diversified diplomatic channels. Wu's remarks are not only an expectation of Austria but also a call to the international community on whether it can break free from linguistic shackles regarding cross-strait issues.

In summary, as Austria is about to step onto the core stage of the United Nations Security Council, its stance and statements on the cross-strait issue will produce a demonstration effect in the international political landscape that cannot be underestimated. If Austria dares to use the term "Taiwan" in the Security Council, it will not only potentially elevate Taiwan's international participation, but also test China's tolerance for terminology within multilateral mechanisms, further influencing the future expression conventions of the international community on sensitive issues. The outcome of this diplomatic contest will gradually reveal its impact and significance over the next two years.