Taiwan Foreign Minister Warns China Twists UN Resolution to Justify Invasion

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung published an op-ed in Japan's Sankei Shimbun today, issuing a warning to the international community that the rules-based international order is facing increasingly severe challenges from authoritarian nations. Minister Lin specifically noted that China not only continues to exert pressure in both bilateral and multilateral arenas, but also deliberately distorts United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, attempting to use it as a basis to hinder Taiwan's participation in various international organizations and conferences. This action not only weakens Taiwan's right to speak on the international stage, but may also provide a so-called "legal basis" for future armed aggression. Minister Lin called on the international community to put an immediate stop to this.

Resolution 2758 was passed in 1971, officially recognizing the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations, while excluding the Republic of China (i.e., Taiwan) from the UN system. Since then, Taiwan has been deprived of formal seats in the UN and its specialized agencies, and can only participate in certain meetings as an observer or non-governmental organization. For years, the Taiwanese government has continuously strived for international space through "meaningful participation," achieving a degree of cooperation particularly in areas such as public health, aviation, and maritime affairs. However, the Chinese government continues to use the "One China" principle as a basis in diplomacy to pressure any nation that allows Taiwan to participate in international organizations under any name, even resorting to economic sanctions or the severing of diplomatic ties. Lin Chia-lung pointed out that if the international community fails to make a clear response to this, China's misinterpretation could become solidified into a gray area in international law, providing a pretext for future military actions.

Against this backdrop, Japan's role is particularly crucial. Japan is one of Taiwan's most important economic and security partners in Asia, with close interaction between the two sides in areas such as the semiconductor supply chain, vaccine cooperation, and maritime security. In recent years, the Japanese government has repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations on international occasions and emphasized the importance of maintaining regional rules in trilateral security dialogues among the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Minister Lin's op-ed aims precisely to leverage the influence of Japanese media to push this issue into broader public discussion, while reminding the Japanese public and political circles that allowing China's distortion to spread will weaken Japan's stance in advocating for a "free and open" order in the Asia-Pacific region.

Furthermore, Lin Chia-lung's statement also reflects Taiwan's domestic sense of urgency regarding international participation. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has gained international recognition for its epidemic prevention effectiveness, yet it remains excluded from official meetings of the World Health Organization. Such situations not only affect Taiwan's public health security, but also weaken global sharing of epidemic information. Minister Lin pointed out that if China utilizes the distortion of Resolution 2758 to institutionalize the restriction of Taiwan's right to participate, it will become even more difficult for Taiwan to make its voice heard on global issues such as climate change and ocean governance in the future, further exacerbating the international community's crisis of trust in "rules."

Finally, Minister Lin's op-ed is not only an appeal to Japan, but also a reminder to all democratic nations: at this critical juncture when the international order faces authoritarian challenges, the principle of "rules" rather than "power" must be upheld. If the international community tolerates or tacitly approves of China's distortion of Resolution 2758, it may lay the legal gray groundwork for future military conflicts. Minister Lin emphasized that only through multilateral cooperation and steadfast diplomatic solidarity can it be ensured that Taiwan's international participation is not restricted by unilateral political interpretations, thereby safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.