FAPA: Excluding Taiwan Weakens UN, Emboldens China
The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), yet Taiwan’s 23 million people remain unjustly barred from the global body. In a September 24 statement, Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) National President Dr. Su-Mei Kao warned that excluding Taiwan undermines the UN’s credibility, despite Taiwan’s longstanding contributions to global health, disaster relief, and development.
China Exploits UN System
Reports show the People’s Republic of China (PRC) increasingly manipulating the UN system to advance its agenda. Beijing installs Chinese nationals in key UN leadership posts, wields UN authority to expand its power, ties UN agencies to Belt and Road projects, and squeezes Taiwan’s diplomatic space. It also coerces the Secretariat to bar Taiwanese journalists and passport holders from UN premises.
UN Resolution 2758 Distorted
For decades, Beijing has twisted UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to block Taiwan’s international participation and falsely claim Taiwan as part of the PRC. Dr. Kao stressed the 1971 resolution never addressed Taiwan’s sovereignty, warning that Beijing’s distortion erodes UN integrity and emboldens Chinese aggression.
U.S. Bipartisan Support Grows
Dr. Kao praised U.S. congressional support for Taiwan, highlighting pro-Taiwan bills such as the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act. The bill requires reporting on China’s obstruction of Taiwan’s participation in the UN and other international bodies. She concluded: “Such congressional efforts send a powerful message that Taiwan’s democracy must not be silenced, marginalized, or excluded from the global community.”
Source:
[1] FAPA (Full Statement)
Taiwan Leaders and Allies Spotlight Democracy During UNGA Week
As world leaders gathered in New York for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Taiwan’s leaders and allies warned of rising authoritarian threats and called for stronger democratic cooperation and Taiwan’s international participation.
U.S. Lawmakers Back Taiwan’s Inclusion at ICAO, UN
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers called for Taiwan’s participation in international bodies, citing its role in aviation safety and global security. In a September 17 letter to ICAO President Salvatore Sciacchitano, House Foreign Affairs Committee leaders Brian Mast (R-FL) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), joined by 19 colleagues, called for Taiwan’s invitation to the ICAO Assembly in Montreal.
On September 19, Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders Jim Risch (R-ID) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued a joint statement rejecting Beijing’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 and pledging continued U.S. support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
Lin Meets Allies in New York
Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung broke new ground in New York — the first time a Taiwanese foreign minister is publicly known to attend events in the city during UNGA week. On September 22, Lin appeared with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr., former U.S. officials Robert O’Brien and Alexander Gray, and a U.S. State Department official at a reception hosted by American Global Strategies, underscoring a quiet but notable U.S. presence during Taiwan’s outreach.
Lai Warns of Authoritarian Expansion
In a September 24 prerecorded address to the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te warned that authoritarian regimes are converging and undermining the international order, targeting democracies with disinformation and interference. He reaffirmed Taiwan’s reliability despite its UN exclusion since 1971, citing contributions to health, supply chains, and disaster relief, and said Taiwan is reinforcing alliances, strengthening defense, and boosting resilience to ensure a stronger global defense of democracy.
Allies Voice Support at the UN
On September 24, Taiwan’s allies used the UN platform to press for its inclusion. Paraguayan President Santiago Pena called Taiwan’s participation a matter of justice, warning that China’s military exercises risk destabilizing Asia and the global order. Czech President Petr Pavel cautioned that disrupting the cross-strait “status quo” threatens global stability and trade, stressing that “security in one part of the world is directly linked to security everywhere.”
Marshallese President Hilda Heine strongly rejected China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758, emphasizing that the 1971 resolution determined only who held the “China” seat, not Taiwan’s sovereignty. She warned that Beijing’s politically motivated misinterpretation can never justify invasion or coercive action against Taiwan.
