October 2, 2019
No. 229
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expresses sincere gratitude to the diplomatic allies and friendly nations that, as of October 1, have voiced support for Taiwan at the 40th Session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is being held from September 24 to October 4 in Montreal, Canada.
Diplomatic allies including Saint Lucia, Guatemala and Tuvalu, as well as friendly nations including France, Japan and New Zealand, endorsed Taiwan’s participation in ICAO in statements that echoed the key appeals of Taiwan’s own campaign. Taiwan urges ICAO to uphold its professional mission and make appropriate arrangements for Taiwan’s participation as soon as possible.
The Guatemalan Director General of Civil Aviation, Francis Argueta, at a meeting of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission on September 24, called on ICAO to honor its No Country Left Behind initiative, stressing the importance of Taiwan’s participation in the global aviation network. Dr. Tapugao Falefou, Contracted Secretary of the Tuvaluan Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs, stated at the meeting of the ICAO Executive Committee on September 29 that the implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) requires the involvement of all countries worldwide, including Taiwan. In addition, Herod Stanislas, Minister in Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives, reaffirmed Taiwan’s key position in the civil aviation sector during the fifth Plenary meeting on October 1, and demanded that ICAO explore ways of inviting Taiwan to attend the Assembly as an Observer and take part in related mechanisms.
Representatives from France, Japan and New Zealand made supportive statements that were consistent with Taiwan’s appeals. They referred to the communiqué issued following the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in April, calling for the substantive participation of all active members of the international aviation community in ICAO forums and stressing that the exclusion of some countries for political reasons compromises aviation safety, ICAO global environmental protection policies, and the effectiveness of CORSIA.
Following the remarks by Minister Stanislas of Saint Lucia, the Chinese representative falsely stated that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory; that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and related ICAO resolutions recognize China’s “one China principle”; and that these resolutions serve as a legal basis for denying Taiwan’s right to participate in ICAO. MOFA condemns and protests these erroneous statements made by the Chinese side in the strongest terms, and reiterates that the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan and has no right to represent the Taiwanese people in international organizations.
As a sovereign and independent nation, the Republic of China (Taiwan) undeniably has the right to take part in ICAO meetings, mechanisms and activities in accordance with ICAO rules and regulations. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the 23 million Taiwanese people in the international arena. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 as well as related ICAO resolutions only cover the issue of China’s representation; none of them state that Taiwan is part of China. The aforementioned remarks by the Chinese representative thus constitute a deliberate attempt at misleading international audiences and obfuscating the truth.
Meanwhile, MOFA also expresses profound regret and disappointment over the fact that the Jamaican Chair of the ICAO Assembly did not preside over the event in a fair manner and even incorrectly stated that ICAO has a “one China policy.”
MOFA reiterates that Taiwan is an active and responsible member of the international civil aviation community, and that it therefore should not be prevented from taking part in ICAO so as to obtain complete and critical information pertaining to aviation safety and security in a timely manner. As a global and professional civil aviation organization, ICAO should remain neutral, refrain from political machinations, and refuse to act on political pressure brought to bear on it by any individual country. It should include Taiwan as soon as possible in the global aviation safety system, so as to realize its goals of a seamless sky and uniting aviation. (E)