TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has the desire and ability to play an active role in international affairs, Li Nan-yang (李南陽), Taiwan’s representative to Slovakia, recently said in an interview with Slovakian newspaper Hospodarske noviny.

Taiwan is a responsible member of the international community that is ready to contribute to the world, Li said, but China continues to distort the 1971 U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758, wrongly linking the resolution to Beijing's "one China” principle.

The representative pointed out that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to one or the other.

The resolution only concerns the representation of “China" in the U.N., Li said, adding that it does not authorize the People's Republic of China to represent Taiwan in the U.N. system, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of China.

Li said that international organizations have formulated rules that Taiwan must abide by, but Taiwan cannot participate in the policy-making process, which is "extremely unfair." He stressed that Taiwan cannot raise concerns or suggestions, which completely violates the universality principle of the U.N. system.

Taiwan's participation in the U.N. is crucial and the 23.5 million Taiwanese should not be excluded from such an important mechanism for global cooperation, Li said.

The representative said challenges including the COVID-19 epidemic, supply chain disruptions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and China’s threats to regional peace and stability affect the security and well-being of the whole world. Taiwan is eager and able to be involved in and contribute to these challenges for the global good, he said.

Participating in the U.N. system also helps safeguard Taiwan's international rights and interests. Joining the global body is not only a right but also an obligation, Li said.