US will humiliate itself challenging UN Resolution 2758, undermining one-China principle

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN. These five decades have witnessed China's practice of multilateralism, full participation in and support for the cause of the UN. Graphic: Jin Jianyu and Xu Zihe/Global Times

US State Department officials recently expressed support for a "discussion focused on supporting Taiwan's ability to participate meaningfully at the UN." They clamored that China has misused Resolution 2758, saying the resolution decided the issue of China's representation in the UN, but the matter of the island of Taiwan's participation remains unsolved. This is an attempt by Washington to fundamentally challenge the one-China principle, trying to break the political status quo of the Taiwan question. Washington is echoing Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' moves to challenge Resolution 2758 internationally since the beginning of this year.

The resolution was approved on October 25, 1971. It clearly states that "the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations." It "decides to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it." Though the resolution did not mention "Taiwan" or "the Republic of China," there were no doubts about who Chiang Kai-shek's representatives were at that time. The UN's comprehensive boycott against Taiwan authorities based on this resolution was never questioned. Even Taiwan's secessionist forces who manipulated the issue of making the island a member of the UN had to fabricate other excuses rather than challenging Resolution 2758. Finding fault with Resolution 2758 is completely a new trick of the island of Taiwan and the US this year.

The DPP authorities have no bottom line. They fabricated history and betrayed morality. During the so-called 110th anniversary of the founding of the "Republic of China," the DPP dared not mention the Revolution of 1911 (Xinhai Revolution) or the revolution's leader Sun Yat-sen. Even the US, the No.1 Western country, arbitrarily falsified and fabricated the meaning of the UN resolution, completely ignoring its self-claimed responsibility of maintaining international rules. The US has turned itself into a complete political hooligan, which has been an eye-opener for the world.

We want to ask: What did the US do over the previous decades? When representatives of the Taiwan authorities were expelled from the UN General Assembly and various organizations affiliated to the UN, they complained many times. What did the US do back then? Chen Shui-bian, former regional leader of Taiwan, tried to push for the island's entry into the UN and asked to participate in various assemblies organized by UN-affiliated organizations. What did the US do? How come the US has suddenly realized it has misunderstood Resolution 2758 due to China's so-called misuse over recent years? There have been many US administrations since the Nixon administration, are they all too muddle-headed to understand a few lines in a UN resolution?

The current US government is the most incapable and degenerate in the country's history. The US' national strength has greatly lost its relative advantage, so the cards of trade and human rights Washington plays to counter China have almost no effect at all. Meanwhile, the military deterrence from the Chinese mainland is also containing the Taiwan card the US plays. The US then has come to this cheap shot as a "new weapon" to launch an alternative offensive against China.

Washington's new move is very abrupt. The US is challenging the commonsense perceptions of the international community while pretending to be earnest and unbiased. This is the ultimate shamelessness. If it wants to pick on China, it should at least find a good excuse. But the US is challenging the entire world's understanding of a UN resolution passed 50 years ago, distorting the truth deliberately, and humiliating the world's memory and discernment.

It is important to note that the US is not so powerful that whatever it says will be effectively enforced. Nor can it arbitrarily define UN resolutions that involve the core interests of other major powers. The vast majority of countries in the world clearly understand what the one-China principle is and whether the island of Taiwan is qualified to seek an equal presence with sovereign states in the UN. Although the US has influence, it can manipulate only some of its allies, not the UN.

There is no way that the US can pull Taiwan into the UN, or any UN-affiliated organizations or agencies only a sovereign country is qualified to join. China and most peace-loving countries which stick to true rules will have enough strength to resist the shameless manipulation of the US and not let the US and Taiwan achieve their ulterior motives.

The US knows well that Taiwan's entry to the UN is just a pseudo-proposition that has no chance to be realized. What the US wants more is to create a new flashpoint with China and exhaust China's diplomatic resources. By doing so, the US tries to woo allies and disturb China's agenda, so as to find strategic initiatives for itself and get rid of the weak situation in the Taiwan Straits caused by its declining control of the Western Pacific.

If the US really makes waves, it will lead to deep divisions in the UN and paralyze the execution power of the UN in many aspects. The US will become a historic sinner that further undermines world unity. But one thing is for sure: No matter how badly it tries, Taiwan will not be able to enter the UN. The bigger the farce the US makes, the more disgraceful it is.