Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday last week passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which aims to counter efforts by China to exclude Taiwan from participating in international organizations. It is a milestone, clarifying Taiwan’s rightful status on the global stage through an allied nation’s legislation.

For decades, China has deliberately misrepresented Resolution 2758 passed by UN General Assembly in 1971, which “[recognizes] that the representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations” and “[d]ecides to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it.” Beijing has used the resolution as the basis of its “one China” principle to push exclusive recognition of China and to exclude Taiwan from international organizations, such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization and Interpol, to the detriment of global health and security efforts.

Just when you thought that former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and his Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) could not be any more tone deaf, they leave everyone dumbstruck with another inexplicable exploit.

Any English speaker could have seen the latest controversy coming a mile away. The story broke on Sunday with a Facebook post by the podcast Bailingguo News (百靈果News) exposing the slogan “Vote White, Vote Right” prominently featured on the English version of the TPP’s Web site. As the commenters pointed out, the phrase would immediately be understood as supportive of far-right white supremacist politics, which is not what the party intended.