United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI)

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 was adopted on 25 October 1971 to change how China is represented in the United Nations. It recognized the People's Republic of China as the only true representative of China to the United Nations. At that time, it also removed the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek, who led the government that had moved from mainland China to Taiwan, from the United Nations.

In the years since then, there have been debates about what this resolution means. Countries like the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia, along with Taiwan itself, disagree with how the People's Republic of China interprets this resolution. They do not agree that the resolution supports the idea that only one government can represent China in all international groups, which affects whether Taiwan can join certain international organizations.

Background

The Republic of China (ROC) started in 1912 in mainland China and later included Taiwan in 1945. That same year, it became one of the first members of the United Nations. But during this time, there was a big fight between the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party. This fight continued until 1949, when Mao Zedong announced the People's Republic of China in Beijing. The Nationalist leaders then moved to Taiwan, which had recently been freed from Empire of Japan control.

Even though the ROC leaders said they would return to mainland China someday, by the 1970s, many United Nations members realized that this government no longer spoke for the many people living in mainland China. The PRC said it was the true government of China, while the leaders in Taiwan argued that the Republic of China still existed. Both sides claimed to be the only legitimate Chinese government and refused to have friendly relations with countries that supported the other side.

From 1950 to 1970, there were several votes about whether the PRC should join the United Nations, but these votes did not succeed. The ROC kept representing China in the UN until Resolution 2758 changed that.

Proceedings at the United Nations

On July 15, 1971, 17 countries asked the United Nations to talk about letting the People's Republic of China join. They said the government in Taiwan, led by Chiang Kai-shek, was not the real leader of China and should not represent China in the United Nations.

The United States asked that both China’s governments be allowed to join. But on September 22, 1971, a group of countries led by Albania proposed a plan to let only the People’s Republic of China join and remove the representatives from Taiwan.

Discussions happened over several days in October 1971. On October 25, the United Nations voted. They decided that only the People’s Republic of China would represent China. From November 15, 1971, China’s representatives came from Beijing, not Taiwan.

Later development

In 2007, the UN General Assembly turned down Taiwan’s request to join the United Nations using the name “Taiwan.” They said this was because Resolution 2758 already stated that Taiwan is part of China. This decision matched what the United Nations had always believed and was written in other United Nations papers as well. For instance, a United Nations handbook from 2003 explained that because of Resolution 2758, the United Nations only accepts representatives from the government of the People’s Republic of China as China’s representatives. Because of this, papers sent from Taiwan to the United Nations were not accepted.

Interpretations

Further information: Chinese unification and Anti-Secession Law

The Chinese government believes that Resolution 2758 made it clear that only the People's Republic of China can represent China in the United Nations. They say this means Taiwan is part of China and should not be treated as a separate country. They also mention old agreements that support this view.

Taiwan disagrees with this interpretation. Some in Taiwan want to join the United Nations again, either as Taiwan or as the Republic of China, but face challenges. Different groups in Taiwan have different ideas about how to deal with this situation.

The United States recognizes the People's Republic of China as the only government of China but has not said clearly what Taiwan's status is. In recent years, the United States has spoken out against China using Resolution 2758 to say Taiwan is part of China. Other countries like Australia, the Netherlands, the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Belgium have also said that Resolution 2758 does not decide Taiwan's future or its place in international groups.