In a statement marking 50 years since the UN General Assembly voted to seat Beijing and boot out Taipei, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, October 26, he regretted that Taiwan had been increasingly excluded on the world stage.

Blinken said “As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems. This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan. Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one. That is why we encourage all UN member states to join us in supporting Taiwan’s robust, meaningful participation throughout the UN system and in the international community. Taiwan has become a democratic success story. We are among the many UN member states who view Taiwan as a valued partner and trusted friend.”

Chima responded to Blinken’s statement, emphasising its position that Taiwan’s government had no place on the global diplomatic stage.

Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, told reporters “Taiwan has no right to join the United Nations. The United Nations is an international governmental organisation composed of sovereign states… Taiwan is a part of China.”

The latest statement adds to an escalation of diplomatic rhetoric and military posturing over Taiwan.

US President Joe Biden last week told a televised forum that the United States was ready to defend Taiwan from any Chinese invasion.