TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has every right to participate in the UN system, Representative to the US Alexander Tah-ray Yui (俞大㵢) said in an interview with The Washington Times.
Yui slammed China’s attempt to misinterpret UN Resolution 2578 to lay claim over Taiwan. Beijing has never ruled or controlled Taiwan, he said, “Therefore their claim is bogus.”
He added that the resolution does not dictate how Taiwan conducts foreign relations or whether it can be included in the UN or other international organizations. The UN “doesn’t have the authority to decide whether Taiwan belongs to anyone,” he said.
China is tricking countries into breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Yui said, which is why it is vital to debunk Beijing’s lies surrounding the resolution.
The representative said Taiwan has contributed to the international community, particularly in technology. He lamented that although the country is leading in tech and telecommunications, it is not a member of the International Telecommunication Union.
Even though over half of global trade passes through the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan cannot join international bodies that regulate that, he said.
Taiwan’s exclusion is due to China’s “encroachment and pressure,” Yui said. However, he pointed out that Taiwan has been receiving growing support from the US and European nations “because it is not right for us to be continuously impeded from participating in these international organizations.”
Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed that China is using the resolution to “make the argument that somehow Taiwan’s status is illegitimate.”
Around 500 people participated in the “March for Taiwan” in Manhattan on Saturday (Sept. 14), which called for Taiwan's inclusion in the UN. Organized by NGO Keep Taiwan Free, the march joined Taiwanese expats, students, and supporters in front of the Chinese consulate in Midtown Manhattan before heading towards Times Square.
