TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two members of the United States House of Representatives have written a letter to the American ambassador to the United Nations asking her to back Taiwan’s cause, reports said Friday (Sept. 10).

The U.N. will open its 76th General Assembly on Sept. 14, with the General Debate and discussions of global issues scheduled for Sept. 21-27. As on previous occasions, Taiwan hopes its diplomatic allies will voice support for its efforts to contribute to the global community, without being blocked by China.

Republicans Scott Perry and Tom Tiffany wrote a letter to U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield calling on her to help Taiwan’s cause through votes and expressions of support, CNA reported. It is not right for Taiwan to have been excluded from the U.N. for the past 50 years, the Congressmen said, adding that Taiwan should receive the same rights and treatment as other countries.

Taiwan is one of the world’s 20 major economies, the 10th largest trading partner of the U.S. for goods, and a global leader in the semiconductor industry, Perry and Tiffany wrote. They also contrasted the treatment of Taiwan with the U.S.' recognition of U.N. membership for countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

Taiwan being treated on the same level as China would amount to a victory for democracy and for an international order based on rules, they said. The congressmen requested that Thomas-Greenfield reply to their letter before Sept. 14 with a plan to help Taiwan join the U.N.