TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s future should be determined solely by its people, Taiwan’s representative to Israel, Ya-Ping Lee (李雅萍), wrote in an opinion piece for The Jerusalem Post published on Friday.
“The democracy that the Taiwanese government has built is for Taiwanese people to determine their own future, and it shouldn’t be decided for anyone’s political legacy,” Lee said. Her remarks were in response to a Dec. 29 article by Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng (蕭軍正), in which Xiao reiterated Beijing’s claim over Taiwan and urged the world to adhere to its “one China” principle.
Lee rejected Xiao’s argument, stating, “It is an indisputable fact that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country, called the Republic of China (ROC).” She emphasized that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not address Taiwan’s sovereignty nor does it bar Taiwan from participating in international organizations.
The representative highlighted a “growing consensus” among nations criticizing China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution and urged Beijing to stop leveraging it as a tool to advance its annexation ambitions.
“Taiwan is a responsible stakeholder in maintaining peace and the resilience of the global supply chain,” Lee said, pointing to Taiwan’s contributions to US counterterrorism efforts and regional stability in the Taiwan Strait, through which more than 50% of global maritime trade passes.
Lee also called on like-minded countries to uphold peace by supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. “Only when we democracies speak in one voice and coordinate our actions against authoritarian aggression can we preserve the liberal international order,” she said.