New York: A United States representative to the United Nations on Wednesday criticized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for “misusing” a 1971 U.N. resolution to exclude the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) from the international organization, for which Taiwan’s government expressed its gratitude.

According to Focus Taiwan, the criticism was issued by Ting Wu, deputy political counselor of the United States Mission to the United Nations, during a U.N. Security Council meeting convened by the PRC at U.N. headquarters in New York. The meeting was titled “The Impact of Unilateralism and Bullying Practices on International Relations,” which called for opposition to “all forms of unilateralism and bullying.”

Wu highlighted China’s “misuse of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758” in its efforts to isolate Taiwan, mischaracterize other countries’ policies, and constrain their choices. Wu emphasized that the resolution does not prevent Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the U.N. system and other multilateral fora.

Wu further stated that working closely with allies and partners, the United States will continue to counter Beijing’s efforts to embed its principles at the United Nations. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed gratitude to Washington for the Taiwan-friendly statement, marking the first time the U.S. has raised this issue during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

MOFA noted that the last criticism from the U.S. regarding the PRC’s misuse of the U.N. resolution occurred during the World Health Organization’s 156th session of the Executive Board in February. Resolution 2758, adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971, addressed China’s representation at the international body, resulting in Taiwan losing its seat to the PRC. Since then, Taiwan has been excluded from participating in the international organization and its affiliates.