TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Spokeswoman Joanne Ou called on the United Nations (U.N.) Thursday (Oct.21) not to misinterpret Resolution 2758 and exclude Taiwan from international society — on the resolution's five decade anniversary.

U.S. national security advisor Robert O’Brien said on Wednesday (Oct.20) that China has distorted the 1971 U.N. resolution to bar Taiwan’s rightful access to join U.N. bodies.

Ou said resolution 2758, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Oct. 25, should be seen in context, according to the time it was ratified. She emphasized it only determines the issue of China's representation in the U.N., and does not mention that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China (PRC), nor does it authorize the PRC to represent the people of Taiwan in the U.N.

Ou condemned the U.N. secretariat for misinterpreting Resolution 2758, echoing China's argument that, "Taiwan is a province of China.” This, she said, was the basis for preventing the country from participating in conferences and depriving Taiwan's media from covering events.

“The U.N.’s sweeping obstruction of Taiwan’s 23.5 million people from participating in the U.N. system is contrary to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the purposes for which the organization was established,” Ou said.

MOFA said Taiwan has long been a democratic country, a fact that is widely recognized by the international community. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent its people in international organizations such as the U.N., Ou said.

“The government of the PRC has not ruled Taiwan for a single day and naturally has no right to voice for Taiwanese.”

The U.N. has repeatedly stressed the post-epidemic era requires the cooperation of all global stakeholders. Taiwan has the determination and ability to contribute to the world and is an essential partner in global cooperation, said Ou.

She called upon the U.N. not to succumb to political pressure from Beijing and unduly expand the interpretation of Resolution 2758 to exclude Taiwan from international society. “The U.N should respond positively to Taiwan’s expectation of contributing to international society and including Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the U.N. and its specialized agencies."