U.S. Condemns China’s Misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 at Security Council Meeting
On April 23, during a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York, Ting Wu, Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the UN, criticized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for “misusing” UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 to block Taiwan’s participation in the international organization.
Wu’s remarks were detailed in a transcript issued by the U.S. mission. Citing the concept note for the meeting — titled “The Impact of Unilateralism and Bullying Practices on International Relations” — which called for opposition to “all forms of unilateralism and bullying,” Wu stated that the United States opposes “China’s misuse of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.”
She went on to criticize the PRC’s exploitation of the resolution “in its attempts to isolate Taiwan, mischaracterize other countries’ policies, and constrain their choices.”
“This resolution does not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system and other multilateral fora,” Wu said.
“Working closely with our allies and partners, the United States will continue to counter Beijing’s goals of embedding its authoritarian principles here at the United Nations,” she added.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a press release on April 24, expressing its appreciation for the U.S. government’s statement in support of Taiwan.
According to MOFA, this marked the first time the United States has publicly criticized the PRC’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 during a UN Security Council meeting.
MOFA also noted that the U.S. raised the issue earlier this year during a meeting of the World Health Organization’s Executive Board in February.
MOFA reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, and neither Taiwan nor the PRC is subordinate to the other.
UNGA Resolution 2758, adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971, resolved the question of “China’s representation” in the UN system by recognizing the representatives of the PRC government as “the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations.”
Since then, Taiwan has been excluded from participation in the UN and its affiliated agencies, despite the fact that the resolution neither addresses the issue of “Taiwan’s representation” in the UN system nor determines Taiwan’s legal or future status. In fact, the resolution does not mention Taiwan at all.
Sources:
[1] U.S. Mission to the UN
[2] Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
[3] Focus Taiwan
[4] Taipei Times
U.S. Warship Makes Second Taiwan Strait Transit This Year
A U.S. warship began its transit through the Taiwan Strait on the evening of April 22 (Taiwan time), according to private-sector observers who reported the passage on social media. It marked the U.S. Navy’s second Taiwan Strait transit since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The X account “Taiwan Security Monitor” identified the vessel as the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. As of 10 p.m. on April 23, the warship was located in waters off the southern municipality of Tainan, Taiwan.
Meanwhile, using flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the X account “TaiwanADIZ” reported that a U.S. Navy MQ-4C reconnaissance drone had been operating near Taiwan several hours before the destroyer’s transit began.
However, both the U.S. 7th Fleet — which typically issues statements on Taiwan Strait transits — and Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense remained silent on the operation.
Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the absence of official comment signaled the “normalization” of freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait.
“When U.S. aircraft carriers transit the Central Pacific, they do not purposefully announce that they are transiting the Central Pacific,” Su said, adding that China should regard transits by foreign military vessels through the Taiwan Strait “with a calm mind.”
Although no official announcement was made, Su noted that the U.S. warship effectively signaled its passage in a more “subtle” way, as the USS William P. Lawrence activated its Automatic Identification System (AIS) at the start of the transit and deactivated it near the end.
“By turning on its AIS, it already made [the transit] public,” Su argued.
He explained that while military vessels typically keep their AIS turned off to avoid disclosing their location, they may activate it in busy waters to prevent collisions with other ships.
Source:
[1] Focus Taiwan
Philippines Eases Restrictions on Official Exchanges with Taiwan
On April 15, the Philippine government issued a directive easing travel restrictions for Philippine officials visiting Taiwan for economic and trade purposes, as well as for visits by Taiwanese officials to the Philippines.
These restrictions were originally imposed in 1987 under Executive Order No. 313, issued by then-President Corazon Aquino as part of Manila’s “One China policy.” The order prohibited Filipino government officials from making official visits to Taiwan, meeting with Taiwanese officials, or engaging in any official activity related to Taiwan without prior approval from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Under the new Memorandum Circular No. 82 (s. 2025) — issued by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on April 15 and made public on April 21 — the travel ban now applies only to the president, vice president, foreign affairs secretary, and defense secretary.
Other Philippine government officials may now travel to Taiwan for economic, trade, and investment purposes, provided they use ordinary passports and refrain from using official titles. However, before their visit, they must notify the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) — the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taiwan — and submit a post-visit report to both MECO and the DFA.
The circular also eases restrictions on hosting Taiwanese delegations. Through MECO, Philippine government agencies may now receive Taiwanese delegations for economic, trade, and investment activities. Agencies are required to notify MECO at least five days in advance and file a report following the visit.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomed the revised guidelines, stating that the easing of restrictions on official exchanges could further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Although formal diplomatic ties were severed in 1975, the two sides have continued close engagement across various sectors. Taiwan is the Philippines’ eighth-largest export market, ninth-largest trading partner, and tenth-largest source of imports. As of August 2024, approximately 153,000 Filipinos were working in Taiwan, making the Philippines the island’s third-largest source of migrant labor.
