Taiwan’s exclusion from global forums must end: outgoing US envoy Kelly Craft
- Beijing uses its diplomatic clout to prevent Taipei government joining international bodies including the World Health Organization
- It is time for the world to oppose China’s actions, UN ambassador Craft tweets as she prepares to leave her post
To make the point even more graphic, ambassador Kelly Craft accompanied the tweet with a photo of herself in the UN General Assembly, where the island is banned. And she carried a handbag with a stuffed Taiwan bear sticking out of the top – a gift from Taiwan’s representative in New York, ambassador James Lee.
Taiwan left the United Nations in 1971 when China joined. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and has been using its diplomatic clout to stop its 23 million people joining any organisations that require statehood for membership, including the UN’s World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
American relations with Taiwan warmed under former president Donald Trump, largely due to strong bipartisan support in Congress, but also because his administration was willing to defy Beijing’s threats and promote Taiwan as an alternative to Chinese Communist Party authoritarianism.
Earlier that day, she went into the General Assembly hall, stood at the speaker’s podium and recorded a virtual address to Model UN students in Taiwan.
Craft followed up those events with a statement on Tuesday – her last full day as ambassador – stressing that the US “is determined to end” Taiwan’s exclusion and isolation, and predicting this would continue under the administration of the newly inaugurated President Joe Biden.
“The US position on this matter enjoys universal bipartisan support,” she said, “and so, even as the United States is preparing for a transition, I can speak with great confidence that the US-Taiwan relationship will continue to grow and strengthen.”
10:22
Why has the relationship between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan taken a turn for the worse?
She called Taiwan “a force for good on the global stage – a vibrant democracy, a generous humanitarian actor, a responsible actor in the global health community, and a vigorous promoter and defender of human rights”.
In a final salvo during Trump’s final hours in office on Wednesday, Craft tweeted her appeal for an end to Taiwan’s isolation and exclusion, saying: “All UN member states should recognise the benefits of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations and the damage done by its continued exclusion.”
The spokesperson for China’s UN mission, referring to Craft’s photo in the General Assembly hall, tweeted back: “Without prior notice to the UN, you sneaked into the GA hall to record the video. You have not only violated the guidelines for the use of UN premises but also broken the rules for prevention of Covid-19. You’re spreading virus literally. Time to stop!”
A spokesman for Craft responded on Thursday, saying: “Ambassador Craft was proud to speak with the youth of Taiwan from the floor of the UN General Assembly, to underscore the outrageous fact that Taiwan’s voice remains unwelcome in that hall.”
03:42
Coronavirus: How did Taiwan keep local Covid-19 transmissions to zero for over 200 days?
In her speech to Taiwan’s Model UN, Craft told the students: “Stay firm, say the words of democracy even in the wake of this moment. Because one day you, too, will be standing here.”
To reinforce her personal commitment, she ended her statement on Tuesday by saying: “As my posting at the UN comes to a close, my mission will not be complete until the people of Taiwan have a voice.”
