US State Secretary urges UN members to support Taiwan's greater inclusion in world stage

In a major move, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged all United Nations' members to back a "meaningful participation" of Taiwan in the global system. Dubbing Taiwan's resistance against China as a "democratic success story," Blinken asserted that the former's respect for human rights, the Rule of Law, and values align with those of the UN. State Secretary's appeal comes on the sidelines of increased support to the island amid rising tensions with China.

Highlighting Taiwan's robust participation for 50 years in UN specialised agencies, the statement from the Secretary's office pointed out that it was inconsiderate to refrain the island from contributing to the UN efforts. "The fact that Taiwan participated robustly in certain UN specialized agencies for the vast majority of the past 50 years is evidence of the value the international community places in Taiwan’s contributions. Recently, however, Taiwan has not been permitted to contribute to UN efforts," the statement said. Notably, despite tens of millions of passengers travelling annually through its airports, Taiwan was not represented at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) triennial assembly. Additionally, the country was left out of World Health Organisation (WHO) Assembly despite inspiring a "world-class response to COVID-19." The statement comes a day after US President Joe Biden on October 22 publicly vowed to defend Taiwan during the Chinese invasion.

"Taiwan’s exclusion undermines the important work of the UN and its related bodies, all of which stand to benefit greatly from its contributions," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

"As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems.  This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan.  Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one."

US President Joe Biden vows to defend Taiwan if China invades

US President Joe Biden on Thursday publicly vowed to protect Taiwan against Chinese incursion. Speaking at a press meet at CNN town hall, Biden stated that the US has a 'commitment' to protect Taiwan against any potential threat from the latter's neighbour. It is to be noted that Biden's comments come amid China's recurrent sovereignty claims over Taiwanese territory under the 'One China' policy and Beijing's escalated aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

Following Biden's comments, China has urged the US to handle Taiwan-related issues carefully and properly and not to send wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "China has no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests. The US should act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue."

(Image: AP)