119 SRES 86 IS: Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) and the harmful conflation of China’s “One China Principle” and the United States' “One China Policy”.
U.S. Senate
2025-02-20
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III
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 86
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 20, 2025
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Ricketts, and Mr. Coons) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) and the harmful conflation of China’s “One China Principle” and the United States' “One China Policy”.
Whereas, on October 25, 1971, United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, which recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China (referred to in this preamble as the “PRC”) as the representative of the member state “China” in the United Nations;
Whereas the purpose of Resolution 2758 was to address the question of which government would represent the “China” seat at the United Nations, and not to address any other issues, including issues related to Taiwan's ultimate political status;
Whereas, in recent years, the PRC has linked Resolution 2758 with its “One China Principle” and has claimed that Resolution 2758 addresses the matter of sovereignty over Taiwan;
Whereas the “One China Principle” is a policy held by the Chinese Communist Party that—
(1)
the PRC is the sole sovereign nation using the name “China”; and
(2)
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China;
Whereas Resolution 2758 did not endorse and is not equivalent to the “One China Principle” and countries that supported Resolution 2758 do not necessarily accept the “One China Principle”;
Whereas Resolution 2758 does not represent an international consensus regarding the PRC’s stance that Taiwan is part of China;
Whereas PRC officials misrepresent Resolution 2758 by claiming the adoption of Resolution 2758 implies acceptance of the “One China Principle” and the PRC’s claims to Taiwan;
Whereas the PRC misleadingly claims that countries with a “one China policy” have accepted and abide by the PRC’s “One China Principle”;
Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, in a 2024 hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, that Resolution 2758 “is a tool [that China uses] to make the argument that somehow Taiwan’s status is illegitimate”, and reiterated United States commitments to Taiwan;
Whereas the “one China policy” of the United States acknowledges the PRC’s “One China Principle”, but affirms that—
(1)
the United States does not take a position on Taiwan's status; and
(2)
this issue should be resolved peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait;
Whereas, in 1982, during the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the United States conveyed Six Assurances to Taiwan’s President Chiang Ching-kuo, including that the United States had not changed its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan, and each subsequent United States presidential administration has reaffirmed these Six Assurances;
Whereas Taiwan has established representative offices in more than 60 countries and at the European Union and the World Trade Organization, which disproves the PRC’s claim of a unified United Nations position or international consensus on Taiwan’s status;
Whereas the PRC has weaponized Resolution 2758 and the “One China Principle” to isolate Taiwan and to prevent its meaningful participation at the United Nations, United Nations-affiliated agencies, and other international fora, including at the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and Interpol;
Whereas the PRC has bolstered its claims and engaged in revisionist history by successfully altering historic United Nations documents to changes references to “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, Province of China”;
Whereas, in 2005, the Secretary of the World Health Organization signed a memorandum of understanding with the PRC Ministry of Health regarding how the World Health Organization would engage with Taiwan, which included a requirement that communication with Taiwan go through the PRC;
Whereas United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon cited Resolution 2758 when refusing Taiwan’s accession to the United Nations in 2007, based on the incorrect assertion that Resolution 2758 supports China’s claim that Taiwan is part of China;
Whereas the United Nations has used Resolution 2758 as a justification for requiring Taiwan citizens, including those with official invitations to attend United Nations events, journalists, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations, to obtain PRC-issued Taiwan Compatriot Permits in addition to their passport or a PRC passport to gain entry to United Nations facilities;
Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement in 2021, which criticized the United Nations’ exclusion of Taiwan civil society members and emphasized that denying entry to such individuals undermines the work of the United Nations;
Whereas, in 2022, Robert O’Brien, former United States National Security Advisor, stated that—
(1)
the PRC manipulates Resolution 2758 to make false claims regarding Taiwan’s status in order “to undermine the international order and the international system”; and
(2)
Resolution 2758 “relates solely to the occupancy of the China seat at the United Nations and nothing more”;
Whereas, after the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China passed a model resolution clarifying the contents of Resolution 2758 in 2024, the Australian Senate, the Dutch House of Representatives, the United Kingdom House of Commons, the Canadian House of Commons, and the European Parliament have all approved resolutions opposing the PRC’s distortion of Resolution 2758 and efforts by the PRC to block Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations;
Whereas, in August 2023, the Central American Parliament (also known as “PARLACEN”) expelled Taiwan, after more than 20 years as a permanent observer, from holding such status at its sessions and falsely claimed that Resolution 2758 deemed Taiwan a “province of mainland China, which disqualifies it from participating as an Independent country”;
Whereas, in October 2024, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation echoed PRC propaganda by inaccurately citing Resolution 2758 as justification to direct Taiwan’s representative office to relocate outside of the capital, Pretoria;
Whereas the PRC cites Resolution 2758 as a justification to coerce, intimidate, or punish sovereign nations for engagement and partnership with Taiwan; and
Whereas, since 2016, the PRC has successfully induced or pressured 10 nations: São Tomé and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Burkina Faso, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nauru, to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)
reaffirms that the longstanding “one China policy” of the United States does not affirmatively recognize the People’s Republic of China’s claim to control over Taiwan and its outlying islands, but rather “acknowledges” this position, reaffirms the interest of the United States in a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues, “has not agreed to take any position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan”, and “will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC”;
(2)
reaffirms that the “one China policy” of the United States and the similar policies of its partners are not equivalent to the “One China Principle” of the Chinese Communist Party;
(3)
emphasizes that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 is not equivalent to, and does not endorse, the PRC’s “One China Principle”;
(4)
emphasizes further that Resolution 2758 does not take a position on Taiwan’s ultimate political status, as explicitly recognized by PRC leaders at the time, and does not represent a United Nations consensus on Taiwan’s status;
(5)
opposes China’s use of the “One China Principle” to coerce the United States, Taiwan, and other countries to accept its claims over Taiwan;
(6)
supports Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in continuing official relationships with Taiwan, and other nations across the world in strengthening their partnerships with Taiwan;
(7)
reaffirms support for Taiwan’s membership in international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement for membership and encourages meaningful participation for Taiwan in organizations in which its membership is not possible;
(8)
recognizes that Taiwan is a reliable and indispensable partner on issues ranging from global health to advanced manufacturing, and its resources and expertise are assets from which the international community should fully benefit;
(9)
supports ensuring that Taiwan passport holders are able to access United Nations grounds and should not be required to provide PRC-issued identification;
(10)
encourages the United States Government to work with partners on joint efforts to counter China’s false narratives about Resolution 2758; and
(11)
supports the efforts of other countries to differentiate between their policies and the “One China Principle” to counter China’s propaganda about international views of Taiwan.