US, Taiwan Discuss Expanding Taipei’s Participation in U.N., Other International Fora

The United States reiterated its support for Taiwan broadening its participation in the United Nations system and other international fora, following another round of discussions in Taipei.

“Taiwan’s world-class expertise offers considerable added value in addressing today’s most urgent challenges, including in international public health, food security, aviation safety, and climate change,” the State Department said in a press release on June 22.

“U.S. participants reaffirmed the United States’ longstanding commitment to Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system and the international community, including at the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization,” it said.

The discussions, officially under the name of the U.S.-Taiwan Working Group Meeting on International Organizations, included representatives from the State Department and Taiwan’s foreign ministry. It was hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de-facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), which is Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the United States.

Several similar discussions have been held since 2021, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement encouraging U.N. member states to join the United States “in supporting Taiwan’s robust, meaningful participation throughout the U.N. system and in the international community.”

Taiwan is excluded from many international organizations due to opposition by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which claims self-ruled Taiwan as one of its provinces. The CCP, however, has never governed the island. Taiwan is a de-facto independent nation with its own democratically elected officials, constitution, currency, and military.

The Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan’s official name, held the Chinese U.N. seat until Oct. 25, 1971, when the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution giving the seat to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) out of Beijing.

“Our support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international fora is in line with our one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances,” the State Department wrote in last week’s press release.

The United States broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favor of communist China. However, Washington and Taipei have maintained a close relationship based on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, a law that authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for self-defense.

In a statement, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Friday’s event was fruitful, as the two sides had “substantive and constructive discussions” and agreed to “continue to work closely together.” The ministry reiterated Taiwan’s desire to join the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Taiwan attended the WHO’s general assembly (WHA) as an observer from 2009 to 2016 during the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou, a member of the Kuomintang (KMT) Party.

The CCP began blocking Taiwan’s participation in the WHA in 2017, the year Tsai Ing-wen, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won the first of her two presidential terms.

In May, Mr. Blinken issued a statement urging the WHO to reinstate an invitation to Taiwan to participate in the WHA, saying that the island’s “continued exclusion from this preeminent global health forum undermines inclusive global public health cooperation and security.”

Despite the pleas from Mr. Blinken and European lawmakers, the WHO decided not to invite Taiwan to attend the WHA.

In January, the House passed the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 540), which would require U.S. support for Taiwan’s admission into the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a member. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) with cosponsor Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) in January 2023.

“As the 21st largest economy in the world and the 10th largest goods trading partner of the United States, Taiwan deserves a seat at the IMF,” Ms. Kim said as she introduced the legislation.

“For far too long, Taiwan’s freedoms have been suppressed and voice has been silenced by the Chinese Communist Party,“ she said. ”The Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act helps right this wrong and ensure Taiwan’s voice is heard in international financial decisions.”

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