Taipei [Taiwan] May 5 : Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-lung, has instructed the initiation of a special project to combat China's "legal warfare" that misinterprets UN Resolution 2758, according to a foreign affairs official, the Taipei Times reported.
On Wednesday, Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority, as per the report in the Taipei Times, referenced UN Resolution 2758 and Mogadishu's compliance with the "one China" principle when it prohibited individuals from entering or transiting through the African country using Taiwanese passports or other travel documents issued by Taiwan.
The International Air Transport Association's records indicate that holders of Taiwanese passports are barred from entering Somalia or transiting through the country. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed its objection to this decision and cautioned Taiwanese citizens against travelling to Somalia or Somali land until the Somalian government retracts the announcement, according to the Taipei Times.
During a news conference, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong approval for Somalia's travel ban on Taiwanese passport holders, indicating that this move solidly demonstrates China's influence behind Somalia's actions to restrict Taiwan.
In recent years, Beijing has persistently twisted the interpretation of UN Resolution 2758 to diminish Taiwan's presence on the international stage, they reported, mentioning that last year, the South African government used it as justification to evict Taiwan's representative office from Pretoria
Despite this, Taiwan has maintained its position firmly, and with support from other democratic nations, the office continues to operate normally to this day, even after two deadlines for relocation have passed, they noted. In response to Somalia's restrictions, Taipei plans to seek assistance from international entities friendly to Taiwan while also striving to counteract China's efforts to diminish Taiwan's international standing, stated the official, according to the Taipei Times.
During a UN Security Council meeting last month, a US representative accused China of misapplying the resolution in its endeavours to isolate Taiwan and of distorting other nations' policies, thus limiting their options, as relayed by the ministry official.
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