TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The United States should call on the United Nations to hold a hearing on Taiwan to counter China’s “hijacking” of UN Resolution 2758, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Saturday (Aug. 24).

The former US diplomat was visiting Taiwan to present a keynote speech at the Ketagalan Forum security conference on Aug. 21. During her visit, she also met President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

The UN passed Resolution 2758 in 1971, allowing China to join the global body. However, Beijing has since misused the text to say it supported its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, even though the resolution does not mention Taiwan.

At a news conference in Taipei on Saturday, Haley said the US owed a debt of gratitude to Taiwan, per CNA. Washington should therefore join calls for the UN to host a hearing about China’s misuse of the resolution. 

Taiwan should knock on the door of the Security Council and of the UN General Secretariat until it receives an answer, Haley added.

Asked what name Taiwan should use to apply for UN membership, she said that was a decision to be made by all the people in Taiwan. No matter what the decision was, China would throw a tantrum, but no matter what the decision was, the US should support Taiwan, according to Haley.

If Washington decided to provide large-scale funding to the UN, then Taiwan should at least be granted observer status and membership of the World Health Organization (WHO), she said. Both parties in the U.S. should no longer restrict themselves to low-profile support for Taiwan’s case, but take to the podium and tell the UN that now was the time for Taiwan to receive the treatment it deserved.