“China is trying in every possible way to prevent visits by Taiwanese government officials to other countries and to create the island’s international isolation. And the more power China has on the international stage, the more it uses that power to restrict any contacts with the island.”

Nataliya Butyrska, Associate Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center, commented for My-Ukraina TV as part of Ukraine’s national telethon on the rare visit of Taiwan’s Vice President to Italy and Beijing’s strong reaction to it.

The expert explains that although Italy, like most countries, adheres to the “One China” policy and had not planned any official ministerial-level meetings, China traditionally reacts strongly even to the participation of Taiwanese officials in international events. Beijing’s aim is to encourage governments around the world to avoid any contacts with the island, including cultural and humanitarian ones.

Nataliya Butyrska also draws attention to UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971. The resolution restored the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China to represent China at the United Nations instead of the government of Chiang Kai-shek. However, it did not address or resolve the issue of sovereignty over Taiwan. China, in turn, deliberately interprets the resolution as international recognition of its claims over the island and uses it to block Taiwan’s participation in UN bodies and specialized agencies, including the World Health Organization.

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