United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted on October 25, 1971, recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations” and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek, referring to the Republic of China (ROC), which had retreated to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War[1]. This resolution effectively transferred China’s seat at the UN from the ROC to the PRC.
Impact on Taiwan
Resolution 2758 has been used by the PRC to assert its “One China” principle, which claims that Taiwan is part of China. However, the resolution itself does not explicitly address the status of Taiwan or declare it as part of the PRC. Resolution 2758 solely concerns the representation of China at the UN[6][7]. Despite this, the PRC has leveraged the resolution to limit Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, falsely claiming that the resolution supports its territorial claims over Taiwan[3][5].
Furthermore, Taiwan has since become a top democracy, with strong human rights and press freedom. Chiang Kai-shek and authoritarian rule is a thing of the past. Instead, Taiwanese want participation in the world while being distinct from China. Any claims that Taiwan wishes to somehow replace the PRC in the United Nations or rule over China is propaganda and untrue.
Support for Taiwan
Taiwan and its supporters argue that Resolution 2758 does not settle Taiwan’s international status or preclude its participation in the UN system. The resolution is often misinterpreted or misused to block Taiwan’s involvement in international forums[2][4]. The United States and other countries have clarified that their “One China” policies are distinct from the PRC’s “One China” principle and have supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations[6][8]. In fact, today only about 51 nations in the world recognize the “One China” principle and most “One China” policies of most nations simply recognize the PRC as ruling China but not Taiwan or have no say in the matter.
Taiwan continues to challenge the PRC’s interpretation of Resolution 2758, seeking to clarify its position and promote its inclusion in international bodies. Taiwan’s government has actively worked to explain the resolution to UN member states to prevent its misuse as a tool to exclude Taiwan from the UN system[4].
Citations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_2758
[2] https://www.gmfus.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/GMF_UNGA%20Res.%202758_April%202024%20Report.pdf
[3] https://www.hoover.org/research/taiwanese-un-use-and-abuse-un-resolution-2758
[4] https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202409030016
[5] https://www.gmfus.org/news/distortion-un-resolution-2758-and-limits-taiwans-access-united-nations
[6] https://globaltaiwan.org/2024/05/senior-us-officials-push-back-against-the-prc-misusing-unga-resolution-2758/
[7] https://www.voanews.com/a/7630543.html
[8] https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/rep/release/risch-shaheen-introduce-resolution-reaffirming-support-of-taiwan
