The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Estonia has disseminated misleading narratives about Taiwan through its social media accounts on Facebook and X, promoting a distorted view of Taiwan’s status. The Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia would like to reaffirm Taiwan’s right to participate in international organizations, including the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, Taiwan has continued to consolidate its democracy. Taiwan’s 23 million people not only directly elect their own president and legislators, but also operate its own government institutions and maintain substantive relations with more than 100 countries around the world. These facts demonstrate the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent state. Against this backdrop, it is entirely appropriate for Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lin Chia-lung, to present the Taiwanese government’s position through the Estonian media. The Chinese Embassy’s reaction to this issue is completely unjustified and groundless.
Notably, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other. The PRC has no right to dictate Taiwan’s sovereignty or international status, and only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people in the international community. President Lai Ching-te has reiterated: “Whether we call it the Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), or Taiwan—basically, no matter what we are called internationally, it refers to us—the 23 million people of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu.” Therefore, a separate declaration of independence is unnecessary.
The central issue is that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 addressed the issue of China’s representation at the United Nations but made no mention of Taiwan. In keeping with the principles of universality and inclusiveness, Taiwan should be allowed to participate in the UN system. Such participation would be consistent with these principles and contribute to a more inclusive international community.
The PRC continues to undermine regional peace and security by regularly deploying military aircraft and warships across the Taiwan Strait median line and into the waters off Taiwan’s east coast. Such actions heighten tensions and threaten peace and stability in the region.
As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is committed to steadily deepening cooperation with like-minded partners, including Estonia, to jointly counter the threat of authoritarian expansionism and uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude to all those who cherish and safeguard democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. (E)
