Want peace in the Pacific? Bring Taiwan into the UN system

Large parts of the world—and billions of people—have enjoyed great prosperity thanks to the peace and stability that prevail across the 97-mile strait separating China from Taiwan. Our island is an indispensable partner in global supply chains, producing more than 90 percent of the world’s high-end semiconductors, including many of the advanced chips that are driving the AI revolution. And half of the world’s seaborne trade passes through the Taiwan Strait, making it a key international waterway.

All this is threatened by Beijing’s attempts to change the status quo across the strait and to expand authoritarianism throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

In recent years, global leaders have used bilateral and multilateral occasions—including G7, EU, NATO, and ASEAN meetings—to highlight the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the strait. Now is the time for the largest international organization of all, the United Nations, to rethink unjustified policies that exclude Taiwan.

The UN should begin by resisting PRC pressure to distort UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, the 1971 decision “to recognize the representatives of [the PRC] Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.”

China has since willfully misrepresented Resolution 2758, citing it in assertions that Taiwan is part of the PRC and has no legitimate right to meaningfully participate in the UN and its specialized agencies. This misrepresentation has far-reaching consequences beyond denying Taiwanese citizens and journalists access to UN premises and preventing them from visiting, attending meetings, and engaging in newsgathering. Beijing’s weaponization of Resolution 2758 is one of the key elements in a campaign to establish the legal basis for justifying a future armed invasion of Taiwan.

But in fact, Resolution 2758 addresses only China’s representation in the UN. It does not mention Taiwan. It neither states that Taiwan is part of the PRC nor ascribes to the PRC any right to represent Taiwan in the UN system. In other words, the resolution has nothing to do with Taiwan. 

This case is illustrative of the PRC’s growing assertiveness in imposing its will on the international stage. If left unchallenged and uncorrected, Beijing will alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, jeopardize peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and threaten the rules-based international order.

Thankfully, in recent months, several senior U.S. officials have criticized the PRC’s distortion of Resolution 2758 to justify its spurious claim over Taiwan. Furthermore, on July 30, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international organization comprising over 250 lawmakers from 38 countries and the EU, demonstrated their support for Taiwan by passing a model resolution on Resolution 2758. The UN should follow suit.

The PRC’s expansionism will not stop at Taiwan. Other efforts to chip away at long-settled international claims include, for example, the recent regulations introduced by the China Coast Guard. By introducing rules that justify the boarding and detaining of vessels and allow individuals to enter disputed maritime areas, Beijing aims to assert control over international waters and challenge global norms and claims.

History has shown that democratic resolve must be demonstrated ahead of time—before it is too late. As the world’s foremost forum for international cooperation, the UN system is ideally positioned to address regional security challenges and support global economic stability. The ongoing 79th UNGA and its upcoming Summit of the Future present a timely opportunity to address key security concerns while advancing the broader goals of global sustainable development and building a more resilient global community for current and future generations.

Over many decades, Taiwan has proven to be a responsible and reliable partner to those it has worked with. More recently, we have also made significant contributions to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Embracing Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system would be the UN’s best option for heading off regional crises, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and spurring global prosperity.