TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will not give in to Chinese intimidation, the country’s representative to Guam Paul Yin-Lien Chen (陳盈連) said in a Guam Daily Post editorial.

Taiwan is a free and democratic country that is not subordinate to China, Chen said. “Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government has the right to represent the 23 million people of Taiwan in the international arena,” he said.

The representative accused the U.N. of bending under pressure from China and misinterpreting Resolution 2758 “to deny Taiwanese people opportunities to participate in the United Nations.” This violates the principle of universality in the U.N. Charter, he pointed out.

Chen called Taiwan “a responsible member of the international community” that has contributed greatly to the world, including working toward U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The Chinese Communist Party sees this as a sign to force Taiwan into following the so-called “one China” principle, demonstrating that it has no say in the health and welfare of Taiwanese citizens, he added.

The representative said Taiwan is thankful for global supporters assisting in its bid to participate in the U.N. system and for sharing their concern about China’s military threats. Taiwan urges the U.N. “to respect the will of the Taiwanese people that want to participate in the U.N. system,” he said.