TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday said “Taiwan is of course a country” and its status as such is not defined by UN membership or its resolutions.
On the first leg of his “Ten Lectures on National Unity” speaking tour, Lai spoke at a Rotary International Taiwan branch, per Liberty Times. Lai said the definition of a country requires four essential elements: people, territory, government, and sovereignty.
Lai said Taiwan regularly holds elections at all levels of government, exercises public authority, engages in diplomacy, and maintains a national defense. “This is a political community made up of 23 million people living on this land. Therefore, Taiwan is, of course, a country,” said Lai.
Since the first direct presidential election in 1996, Lai noted, Taiwan has elected a new president every four years. Those presidents include Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and now himself. “From any perspective or by any standard measuring the four elements of a country, the international community can see that we are a country,” said Lai.
Lai criticized China for continuing to claim sovereignty over Taiwan by invoking UN Resolution 2758. He said Beijing uses the resolution to promote its “one China” principle and the “three-stage one-China theory.”
Lai said Beijing has repeatedly cited Resolution 2758 in the international arena to deny Taiwan’s sovereignty. However, the resolution's text only designated Beijing's seat at the UN as the sole representative of China and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
In addition, Lai emphasized that UN membership is not a criterion for statehood. Therefore, China cannot use UN resolutions to deny Taiwan’s sovereignty or claim ownership over it.
“Such claims are completely wrong," said Lai. He added that the international community also does not recognize them.
The president noted that the US State Department made clear earlier this year that China has distorted Resolution 2758 and that the resolution does not address Taiwan’s sovereignty. Legislatures in the US, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, and the European Parliament have all passed resolutions affirming this interpretation.
He also highlighted Taiwan’s role as the origin of Austronesian culture. Around 4000 BCE, Austronesian languages are thought to have originated in Taiwan, before spreading to the Philippines, Borneo, Madagascar, Guam, Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand.
“China claims Taiwan has always been an inseparable part of China,” said Lai. “But history clearly tells us that’s not true.”
