Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ever since the US ended diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) and recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1979, a move followed by the passage of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) in April that year, Washington’s policy on Taiwan has consistently been that its future cannot be determined through the use of force by China.

The diplomatic relationship with Beijing, the TRA reads, “rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means [and that] any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes” would be “of grave concern” to the US.

The 64th session of the UN General Assembly opened at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. As an independent, sovereign state, Taiwan has the right to be a member of the world body — a wish and demand of the majority of Taiwanese.

As the previous administration was preparing to promote the nation’s bid for UN membership under the name “Taiwan” in 2007, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), then in opposition, organized a protest against the government’s referendum proposal on joining the body.