China’s U.N. Campaign against Taiwan Makes the World Less Safe

T o begin this decade, just as the international community grappled with a global pandemic, our world also had to become familiar with living through war again. The toll that these global crises take has everything to do with the world’s ability to respond collectively — a topic at the center of the agenda at this year’s World Health Assembly, where public-health officials and experts will convene to discuss how to prevent the next pandemic and improve global health access.

As important as the WHA forum is for public health, this year’s summit will once again be missing a crucial voice: Taiwan’s. After having previously participated as an observer, Taiwan has not received an invitation since 2016 and has been continually blocked from participating in other U.N. bodies. The main reason is China’s misuse of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 to achieve its political goals.

Despite having invaluable lessons to offer from successfully detecting and managing the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan is being excluded from representing its over 23 million people in the global health conversation. At a time when the stakes are so high, we cannot allow China’s dangerous campaign in the U.N. to continue unabated.

The text of UNGA Resolution 2758 is clear: It merely addresses the representation of the China seat at the U.N. and does not mention Taiwan or its status. At the time of voting, a majority of states voting in favor of the resolution stated that only China’s credentials at the U.N. were being addressed and not Taiwan’s future. This reality was even acknowledged by China’s top diplomat at the time, Zhou Enlai, who knew that the resolution left the Taiwan question unresolved.

In recent decades, China has strong-armed the international community into accepting a new consensus on Taiwan’s participation, one that is predicated on a false interpretation of Resolution 2758. Beijing falsely claims that the resolution equates to a consensus on its so-called one-China principle, and uses this as a pretext to exclude Taiwan from the U.N. and its specialized agencies. Not only is this narrative dangerous as a tool for legitimizing a potential invasion of Taiwan, but it is also filled with falsehoods.

At a recent seminar hosted by the German Marshall Fund, the State Department’s Coordinator for China and Taiwan, Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Lambert, debunked China’s claims, stating that Resolution 2758:

Did not endorse, is not equivalent to and does not reflect a consensus for China’s “one-China principle,” a term that refers to the PRC’s own position on Taiwan. . . .

Has no bearing on countries’ sovereign choices with respect to their relationships with Taiwan. . . .

Did not constitute a U.N. institutional position on the ultimate political status of Taiwan. . . .

Does not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations system and other multilateral forums.

Following Lambert’s comments, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink summarized and reinforced his deputy’s comments in House and Senate subcommittee hearings.

We couldn’t agree more with Lambert and Kritenbrink. As the WHO’s 194-member governing body convenes in Geneva at the end of May, it is high time to examine why one of the world’s most important governing bodies continues to go along with China’s fictitious narrative and exclude Taiwan.

As of today, Taiwan has yet to receive any invitation to participate in this year’s WHA as an observer and will likely be excluded from contributing to the amendment of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the signing of what is now called the “WHO Pandemic Agreement.”

Taiwan’s previous participation as an observer at the WHA from 2009 to 2016 showcased its valuable contributions to global health efforts. Since then, Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHA has hindered its ability to contribute to WHO initiatives. Owing to China’s obstructionist tactics and the WHO’s own political considerations, Taiwan’s participation in the WHO’s technical meetings continues to be sporadic and limited, leaving significant room for improvement.

To date, the WHO refuses to display the contact-point information for Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control on the IHR intranet. As a result, IHR contact points in other countries cannot directly report pandemic information to Taiwan, nor can they receive the timely reporting Taiwan has provided to the WHO, adversely affecting the infrastructure for pandemic-prevention efforts.

The Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of all global stakeholders, including Taiwan, collaborating to effectively address global health threats and achieve health for all.

For the fourth time since taking office in 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement in support of Taiwan’s participation as an observer at this year’s World Health Assembly. His backing underscores the necessity of Taiwan’s inclusion in global health efforts.

We ask other countries to join in Blinken’s call to invite Taiwan to the WHA. Such a move would show the WHO’s commitment to “health for all” and take a step in dismantling Beijing’s false claims about Resolution 2758. As the threat to the international community posed by authoritarian regimes continues to grow, we must respond collectively to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous world, free from coercion.