Photo: LEONARDO MUNOZ
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has accused the United Nations of 'gaslighting' by excluding Taiwan from high-level engagements under the One-China Policy.
In 1971, the UN officially recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China to the UN, under UNGA resolution 2758. China considers Taiwan as its own territory.
Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau have diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China. Taiwan has diplomatic relations with 11 UN member states.
Speaking at the UN, Hilda Heine said Taiwan is an important partner to the Marshall Islands and the world, providing technical cooperation towards sustainable development goals and promoting regional peace.
"Taiwan has been repeatedly excluded from important international engagements throughout the UN system," she said.
She also took issue with UNGA resolution 2758.
"Never has there been such gaslighting in this institution. While this resolution does address who sits behind a name plate at the UN, it does not confer or justify any basis for coercion or seizing sovereign control of an independent democratic nation."
Heine called for the United Nations Secretariat to put an end to what she called discrimination against Taiwan.
According to a report from the Lowy Institute in January, nearly three-quarters of countries (74 per cent or 142 in total) supported Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China, though a number of these (23) have not also endorsed Beijing's preferred one-China principle.
A majority of countries (119 or 62 per cent of UN member states) have endorsed Beijing's one-China principle, which entails that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China.
Since 2018, Taiwan has lost three Pacific diplomatic allies to China - Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Nauru.
Nauru's president, meanwhile, reaffirmed his country's commiment to the One China principle in the UN general debate.
"We also value our productive relationship with the People's Republic of China," David Adeang said.
"China's partnership has contributed meaningful opportunities for infrastructure, trade, and development that support Nauru's progress.
Last month, Heine told Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele that it will hurt the Pacific region to bar external partners from attending meetings with leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara.
Manele dismissed claims that Solomon Islands was under pressure from China to prevent Taiwan's participation in the Forum sessions.
In 2024, PIF submitted to China's demand to remove the mention of Taiwan from the final communique of the leaders' summit.
This year, leaders put Taiwan back on the communiqué.
This year's 54th Pacific Islands Forum communiqué said leaders maintain "the 1992 Leaders decision on Development Partners", a reference to Taiwan and the year it became a development partner.
