FM opposes U.S. House bill promoting Taiwan membership in IMF

China firmly opposes U.S.' so-called bill supporting the Taiwan island as an IMF member and has lodged a solemn representation with the U.S., a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The U.S. House of Representatives advanced several bills concerning the island on Friday. One of them, the "Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act of 2023," sponsored by California Republican Young Kim, requires the U.S. to advocate for Taiwan's membership in the IMF.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference in Beijing on Tuesday that the so-called bill constitutes a gross interference in China's internal affairs, attempting to manipulate political issues under the guise of the Taiwan question and creating incidents that promoted "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas" that violate the one-China principle.

China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction, firmly opposes the latest move by the U.S. and has lodged a solemn representation with the U.S., Mao said, emphasizing that Taiwan island has no legitimate reasons or rights to participate in international organizations such as the UN, which are reserved for sovereign states.

On October 25, 1971, the 26th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758, which "decides 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 the Taiwan authorities "from the place which they unlawfully occupy." Once and for all, UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved, politically, legally and procedurally, the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. It also made it clear that there can only be one seat representing China at the UN, and that is the People's Republic of China, Mao said.

For more than half a century, the UN and other specialized agencies, including the IMF, have adhered to the provisions of this resolution, the spokesperson said.

"Any issue related to Taiwan's participation in international organizations must be resolved under the One-China principle. The U.S. should recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, immediately cease interfering in China's internal affairs, stop sending wrong signals to pro-independence forces in the island, and refrain from harming China-U.S. relations and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits," Mao said.