TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council on Wednesday criticized China’s use of UN Resolution 2758 to legitimize its claim over the country.

In a statement, MAC emphasized that the resolution does not mention Taiwan, or acknowledge that Taiwan is part of China, CNA reported. The resolution does not authorize Beijing to represent Taiwan in the UN, the council said.

Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office published a series of responses about the resolution on social media on Wednesday. The office claimed that since its ratification on Oct. 25, 1971, the resolution restored all rights of the People’s Republic of China in the UN and recognized its government as the only legitimate representative of China to the organization, thus “returning the seat and representation of all of China, including Taiwan, to the PRC.”

MAC accused the Chinese Communist Party of deliberately misinterpreting the resolution and linking it to the “one China” principle, per CNA. The international community and the Taiwanese do not accept this view, it said.

The council reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to China. This is the objective reality in the Taiwan Strait and a widely acknowledged fact in the international community, it added. 

MAC called on Beijing to cease its diplomatic suppression of Taiwan and to handle cross-strait relations pragmatically, according to CNA. The Taiwan government, it added, will continue to implement President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) "Four Pillars of Peace" action plan and cooperate with friendly nations to safeguard national sovereignty and Taiwan’s overall interests.