Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s European Parliament speech affirms shared democratic values — and rebuts Beijing’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758.
By Jessica C. Lee
Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Republic of Palau
On November 7, 2025, Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim stood before lawmakers in the European Parliament and spoke with clarity of purpose.
“Europe has defended freedom under fire. Taiwan has built democracy under pressure,” she said — a sentence that distilled decades of shared struggle and resilience.
Hsiao’s appearance at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit was more than symbolic. It reaffirmed that Europe and Taiwan, though separated by oceans, are united by democratic conviction. Her reminder that “peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and prosperity” echoed far beyond Brussels, underscoring that Taiwan is not a geopolitical pawn but a responsible stakeholder — a partner in safeguarding the rules-based order.
A Misused Resolution
Beijing’s reaction was swift and familiar: condemnation and protest. Chinese officials claimed the visit violated the so-called One China Principle, citing United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 as justification. Yet the text of that 1971 resolution says something very different.
“The General Assembly,
Recognizing 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 that the People’s Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council,
decides to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and 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.”
— UN GA Resolution 2758 (XXVI), 25 October 1971
Nowhere in this text appear the words “Taiwan” or “Republic of China.”
The resolution dealt solely with which government represents “China,” not with Taiwan’s sovereignty or status.
Moreover, Resolution 2758 did not endorse, is not equivalent to, and does not reflect a consensus for the PRC’s “One China Principle.”
Nor does it affect any country’s sovereign decision on its relationship with Taiwan.
It certainly did not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system or other multilateral fora.
To claim otherwise is to distort history. Beijing’s narrative transforms a procedural decision on representation into a political tool of exclusion — a practice that undermines both the UN’s credibility and the integrity of international law.
Why Truth Matters
Vice President Hsiao’s message in Brussels went beyond Taiwan’s own interests. It was a defense of the principle that words — especially those enshrined in UN documents — must mean what they say.
When legal texts are twisted for political ends, the rule of law gives way to the rule of power.
Democracies, she reminded her audience, must guard against that erosion by standing together, speaking plainly, and refusing to let authoritarian revisionism rewrite global norms.
Partnerships That Prove Democracy Delivers
For a quarter-century, Taiwan and Palau have demonstrated what values-based cooperation looks like in practice.
Our partnership rests on freedom, equality, and mutual respect. Together we have advanced numerous social and economic development projects, such as renewable-energy projects, digital-governance initiatives, public health and education exchanges that strengthen both nations and the wider Pacific community.
Palau’s advocacy for Taiwan’s inclusion in international fora — and Taiwan’s support for Palau’s sustainable development — show that democracies can prosper through cooperation rather than coercion.
It is a small but powerful example of how trust and transparency translate into progress.
A Call to Uphold Integrity
Today, the challenge before democracies is not only territorial but textual.
The manipulation of Resolution 2758 is part of a broader effort to narrow Taiwan’s space and reshape global narratives.
Defending the integrity of that resolution — and of international law itself — is essential to ensuring that facts, not force, guide the global system.
Supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations and related institutions is both lawful and pragmatic.
Taiwan’s expertise in public health, disaster relief, and green technology benefits everyone.
Excluding it serves no principle except authoritarian convenience.
Democracies Must Thrive
Vice President Hsiao closed her European address with conviction:
“We don’t just want to survive; we want democracies to thrive.”
That vision resonates from Brussels to Koror to Taipei.
When democracies cooperate — united by the ocean and bound by friendship — they do more than resist coercion; they create opportunity, stability, and hope.
Truth, after all, is the strongest defense freedom has.
And as Europe and Taiwan both know from experience, freedom endures only when defended — whether under fire or under pressure.