On November 7, the Canadian House of Commons unanimously passed a motion affirming that UN Resolution 2758 does not grant the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it determine Taiwan’s future participation in the United Nations or other international organizations. The motion, introduced by Yves Perron, president of the Bloc Québécois, was said to have received full support from all political parties ahead of the meeting.
Perron highlighted the growing relationship between Canada and Taiwan, noting expanding economic, cultural, and academic exchanges between the two sides. He emphasized their cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, technology, education, youth exchanges, industry, art, culture, and indigenous peoples’ affairs. Perron stated that the resolution was a positive step and aligned with Canada’s foreign policy goals. He also affirmed that Canadian lawmakers would continue to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), alongside their international allies.
In a subsequent social media post, Perron criticized China for distorting the meaning of UN Resolution 2758 to justify its military actions in Taiwan’s airspace and territorial waters. He accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of using the resolution as a tool to issue threats and reinforce Beijing’s claims over Taiwan. UN Resolution 2758, passed during the 26th session of the UN General Assembly, recognized the PRC as the representative of China at the United Nations, replacing the Republic of China (ROC), which governs Taiwan. However, the resolution did not explicitly mention Taiwan or the ROC, leaving Taiwan’s political status unresolved.
Perron had previously visited Taiwan in July as one of two Canadian lawmakers attending the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit. A similar resolution was passed by the European Parliament in October, which also affirmed that UN Resolution 2758 does not affect Taiwan’s participation in the UN or other international bodies, and rejected any attempts to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
