European Parliament Passes Pro-Taiwan Resolution Condemning China’s Distortion of UN Resolution 2758
The European Parliament (EP) on October 24 passed a resolution denouncing the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) distortion of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, that has been misused by China to block Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
In the EP session on October 24, the pro-Taiwan resolution was carried with a strong majority vote of 432-60, with 71 abstentions. It was titled “European Parliament resolution on the misinterpretation of UN resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan.”
This EP resolution said that the UN Resolution 2758 “addresses the status of the PRC, but does not determine that the PRC enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it make any judgement on the future inclusion of Taiwan in the UN or any other international organization.”
While denouncing the PRC’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758, the EP said it strongly rejects and refutes the PRC’s attempts to distort history and international rules, and it also condemned China’s continuous military provocations around Taiwan.
The EP said it firmly rejects any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
The resolution recognized Taiwan as a key partner to the European Union and a like-minded democratic friend in the Indo-Pacific region. It also commended Taiwan and the Taiwanese people for their strong democracy and vibrant civil society.
It called on the EU and its member states to support Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in international bodies, while also calling on the UN Secretariat to allow access to Taiwanese, including journalists.
In the resolution, the EP said it welcomed visits by former and current Taiwanese politicians to Europe, including a recent visit by former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the European Parliament on October 17.
The Parliament also said it encouraged continued exchanges between its members and Taiwan and more visits to Taiwan by official EP delegations.
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
U.S., Canadian Warships Transit Taiwan Strait
A U.S. and a Canadian warship transited the Taiwan Strait together on October 20, less than a week after China conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan on 14.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) and the Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) made a “routine” Taiwan Strait transit on October 20 “through waters where high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.”
“Higgins and Vancouver’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the United States’ and Canada’s commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle,” it said.
“The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. The United States rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigations, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air,” it added.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that the U.S. and Canadian ships sailed north through the strait, adding that it closely monitored nearby airspace and waters and observed nothing unusual.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said that freedom of navigation fits not only Taiwan’s national interest, but also the common interest of the Indo-Pacific region.
The U.S. and Canadian navies last sailed such a joint mission in November 2023, while the U.S. last transited the Taiwan Strait on August 22, 2024, when the USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) passed through.
