Taiwan opposition faces test over motion denying China's U.N. claim

KMT's reluctance to match Australian and Dutch positions 'baffles' experts

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Kuomintang lawmakers in Taiwan's legislature in June. The main opposition party recently pushed back against a motion from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which would reject China's use of a U.N. resolution to push its claim to Taiwan. © Reuters

THOMPSON CHAU, Contributing writer

September 27, 2024 14:01 JST

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's opposition faces a crucial test over a parliamentary motion mirroring recent international statements denying China's interpretation of a historic United Nations resolution.

Some hope the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) will come around to back the motion proposed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects Beijing's view of U.N. Resolution 2758. The resolution, passed in 1971, acknowledges the People's Republic of China as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations." Beijing claims the resolution "confirmed" its "One China principle," which asserts that there is only one China and Taiwan is an "inalienable" part of it.