Allies write to Antonio Guterres, demand Taiwan’s inclusion in UN

Permanent representatives from nine of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, in a joint letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, advocated for Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The joint letter was signed by representatives from Belize, Eswatini, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and Tuvalu.

The representatives of the nine nations in the letter urged the UN to take proactive measures against the “malicious distortions” of UN Resolution 2758, which the allies believe threaten the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and jeopardise peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, according to CNA reported.

China claims that the UN resolution “confirmed” its “one China” principle, asserting that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of China.”

In contrast, Taiwan has argued that the resolution only addressed China’s representation at the UN and did not mention Taiwan or define its political status or establish China’s sovereignty over it.

The letter also called on the UN to uphold its principle of neutrality and “cease the incorrect interpretation of UN Resolution 2758 that unjustly prevents the people of Taiwan and the media from accessing the United Nations to visit, attend, or cover meetings and events.”

The letter was delivered to Guterres’ office in advance of the UN’s Summit for the Future and the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly scheduled for next week, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

After submitting the letter, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ Permanent Representative to the UN, Inga Rhonda King, remarked that it is hard to imagine Taiwan being excluded from the upcoming summit.

She emphasised Taiwan’s significant role in advanced semiconductor production and artificial intelligence technology, questioning how such a technological powerhouse could be left out of the negotiations.

Guatemalan Permanent Representative to the UN, Carla Maria Rodriguez Mancia, expressed hope that more countries would support Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN. She noted that the topics discussed at the summit make Taiwan’s participation especially relevant, highlighting its status as a thriving democracy and a hub of technology.

Carlos Fuller, Belize’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that Taiwan is one of the island nations most threatened by rising sea levels, making its exclusion from UN climate conferences a significant issue.

In a separate statement, Lee Chih-chiang, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, expressed gratitude to Taiwan’s allies for their strong support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN system.

He emphasised that a key priority for Taiwan’s UN campaign this year is to help the international community correctly interpret UN Resolution 2758 and to encourage the UN to find appropriate ways to include Taiwan.