Key facts
- Taiwan argues that restoring UN trust requires rejecting coercion by authoritarian states.
- The Republic of China (ROC) was a founding UN member and Security Council permanent member until 1971.
- The People's Republic of China (PRC) took the Chinese seat at the UN in 1971.
- Taiwan's participation in the UN System has been largely denied or limited due to pressure from China.
Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, asserts that rebuilding confidence in the United Nations is contingent upon rejecting coercion by authoritarian states. The island nation, a former founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the Security Council until 1971, has faced significant obstacles in participating in the UN System in recent years. Despite support from diplomatic allies and the United States, Taiwan's attempts to engage as an observer in specialized agencies or as a formal member have been largely unsuccessful due to pressure exerted by China.
Historically, the ROC joined the UN on October 24, 1945, and was one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Following World War II, China was recognized for its fight against aggression and accorded the honor of being the first to sign the UN Charter. However, after the ROC government retreated to Taiwan in 1949 and the PRC was established on mainland China, a dispute over China's representation at the UN emerged. While the US initially supported the ROC's claim, the Soviet Union backed the PRC. The PRC boycotted the UN from January to August 1950 in protest. Initially, the PRC avoided international organizations where Taiwan held membership. The political status of Taiwan remained unclear after Japan formally relinquished claims in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, as neither the ROC nor the PRC were invited to participate. Starting in 1950, nations friendly to the PRC annually proposed resolutions to expel the "representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" and allow the PRC to represent China. Support for the PRC grew over time, leading the US to require a two-thirds majority for representation decisions starting in 1961. By 1970, a majority voted in favor of the PRC, and the following year, the PRC took the Chinese seat.