The Republic of China was both a founding member of the United Nations and one of the five original members of the U. N. Security Council. In 1950 the Soviet Union began annually objecting to seating Taiwan as a member, arguing that the People's Republic of China should replace it. Every year, however, the U. N. General Assembly turned down the Soviet motion.
Over time, world attitudes toward China changed, and the United States eventually saw the country as a potential ally against the Soviet Union, rather than as an enemy. In 1971 several countries wanted to admit China to the United Nations to serve as a balance against the Soviet Union. This influenced Taiwan's position at the United Nations.
When the U. N. General Assembly voted to admit the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, the Taiwanese ambassador announced Taiwan's withdrawal from the United Nations and walked out. Since then, Taiwan has ranked as the largest country in the world that is not a member of the United Nations.
In late 1978 the United States announced it would establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China the following year and would withdraw its recognition of the Republic of China as China's legitimate government. Nevertheless, the United States maintained cultural and economic ties with Taiwan. Although the United States does not have an embassy in Taiwan, it maintains the American Institute there; the institute performs many of the functions of an embassy.
Similarly, Taiwan does not have an embassy in the United States but maintains the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representatives Office in the United States of America (TECRO) in Washington, D. C. It, too, functions like an embassy. TECRO has more
Than ten branches in major American cities, and these function like consulates.
Despite its international setbacks, Taiwan continued to evolve politically. Under Chiang Ching-kuo, the country made four important reforms. It increased direct participation of the public in electing members of parliament; it removed martial law; it increased freedom to start political parties and establish new media; and it restored the right of Taiwanese to travel to mainland China.
World History
