After the United States ratcheted up tensions with a push for Taiwan to have greater engagement in the international organization, China reaffirmed Wednesday that Taiwan has no right to join the UN.

In a statement released on the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's decision to seat Beijing and expel Taipei, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern that Taiwan had become further marginalized on the international scene.

Blinken announced that:" 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," he said.

US Secretary of State stated "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."

Beijing's response

Beijing responded to Blinken's statement and reiterated its position that the Taiwan government has no place in the global diplomatic arena.

“The United Nations is an international governmental organization composed of sovereign states," said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, stressing that "Taiwan is a part of China.” 

United States' long-lasting policy

The United States has long advocated Taiwan's involvement in UN activities. But, the latest statement adds to the escalation of diplomatic rhetoric and military positions on Taiwan.

In response to a question last week about the possibility of a US military intervention to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, US President Joe Biden responded positively, saying, "Yes, We have a commitment to that."

WSJ: Taiwan’s poor preparation, low morale press concerns among US Officials

The Wall Street Journal reported today that “soldiers, strategists, and government officials in Taiwan and the US say the island’s military is riven with internal problems, many of which have built up over years of calm and economic prosperity and now are eating away at Taiwan’s ability to deter China.”

The report added that poor preparation and low morale among the roughly 80,000 Taiwanese conscripted each year, as well as the nearly 2.2 million reservists, are among the most pressing concerns.

The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that the internal conditions of Taiwan's forces are not satisfactory, as they suffer from cracks as a result of their internal conditions. Said conditions have established a feeling of reassurance and well-being in life, poor preparation procedures, and low morale, and are eroding today in front of their ability to deter China.