MOFA response to US Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambert’s condemnation of China’s mischaracterization of UNGA Resolution 2758

May 1, 2024

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Mark Baxter Lambert on April 29 openly criticized China's mischaracterization of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and its false conflation of the resolution with its "one China principle." Mr. Lambert made these comments at an event held by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington-based think tank, to present a research paper on UNGA Resolution 2758.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambertalso clarified four points underlying the US position on the resolution: firstly, that the resolution did not endorse, is not equivalent to, and does not reflect a consensus for China's "one China principle"; secondly, that the resolution has no bearing on countries' sovereign choices with respect to their relationships with Taiwan; thirdly, that the resolution did not constitute the UN taking an institutional position on the ultimate political status of Taiwan; and fourthly, that the resolution does not preclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system and other multilateral forums.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely welcomes and appreciates the United States expressing for the fifth time its strong opposition to the misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758, which clearly demonstrates the profound US concern regarding China's malicious intentions.

MOFA reiterates that UNGA Resolution 2758 only determined rights over China's representation in the UN, that Taiwan was not mentioned in its entire text, that it did not recognize Taiwan as a part of the People's Republic of China, that it did not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the United Nations, and that it thus has nothing to do with Taiwan. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country; neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the 23.5 million Taiwanese people in the international community. The PRC has never governed Taiwan, and Taiwan is absolutely not a part of the PRC. These are objective and internationally recognized facts and represent the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. It is the legitimate collective right of the people of Taiwan to establish diplomatic relations with other countries and participate in international organizations; the PRC has no right to interfere or impose limitations therein.

MOFA urges the international community to take concrete actions to oppose China's misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and refute its false claim that there is international consensus regarding its so-called "one China principle." This would deter China's unilateral attempts to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and thwart its ambitions to create a legal basis for a military invasion of Taiwan in the future. MOFA calls on all countries to work together to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.