The Australian Senate on 21 August passed an urgency motion stating that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 does not establish the People’s Republic of China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. The motion added that the resolution determines neither the future status of Taiwan in the United Nations nor Taiwanese participation in UN agencies or international organizations. The motion, moved by Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade David Fawcett and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Corporations and Financial Services Deborah O’Neill, was passed unanimously.
Senators Fawcett and O’Neill are both staunch friends of Taiwan and visited in July to attend the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). Following IPAC’s approval of a model resolution on UNGA Resolution 2758 for use by national parliaments, Australia has now become the first country to pass a related motion in its parliament.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Australia strongly affirms and sincerely thanks the Australian Parliament for its firm support of Taiwan’s international participation. Taiwan calls on the international community to oppose China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758, as well as its attempts to erroneously conflate the resolution with its so-called “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with Australia and other like-minded partners so as to jointly defend the core values shared by the global democratic camp and safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the region.
