The Intersection of the Olympics, Taiwan and UN General Assembly Resolution 2758

Few events stir national pride more than the medal ceremony at the Olympics, as the American flag is raised and the Star-Spangled Banner resounds to honor our athletes bringing home the gold. We take this tradition for granted. However, Taiwanese Olympic competitors are denied this experience because of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) mischaracterization of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, which is being improperly cited to block Taiwan’s participation in international institutions and to delegitimize the Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan) as a sovereign state.

To address concerns about UNGA 2758’s misapplication, ALEC members passed a Resolution to Oppose the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) Misuse of United Nations Resolution 2758 to Delegitimize Taiwan and Exclude Taiwan from International Organizations, and immediate past National Chair Senator Patricia Rucker (WV) and Delegate Bill Ridenour (WV) were recognized as ALEC Policy Champions for sponsoring similar legislation in their state.

Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in October 1971, the PRC has increasingly weaponized UNGA Resolution 2758 against Taiwan. The ROC was one of the 51 original member states of the UN until the adoption of Resolution 2758, which asserted that the representatives of the Government of the PRC are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations. Shifting representative status to the PRC was never intended to settle the matter of the so-called “One China Principle” (OCP), although the PRC has wrongfully conflated UNGA 2758 with the OCP. Most alarmingly, the PRC is using UNGA 2758 to assert that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of China,” thereby attempting to create a legal pretext for future aggression in contravention of the UN Charter’s ban on the use of force.

UNGA 2758 is misused to bar Taiwan from participating fully in critical international bodies, including the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As a sovereign country with a population of more than 23 million, located in one of the globe’s fastest-growing regions, and with a dynamic economy that leads in the manufacturing of many of the technologies underpinning 21st-century innovation, Taiwan’s participation in these international organizations would enhance their work. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s efforts for full membership and even participation are routinely blocked by the PRC. To highlight the situation, ALEC members adopted a Resolution Supporting Taiwan’s Meaningful Participation in International Organizations Including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Interpol.

At the Olympics, Taiwan competes as “Chinese Taipei,” displaying a PRC-approved flag, and the nation’s official national anthem is banned. At the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, nine Taiwanese athletes marched with this banner instead of their national flag. In Paris, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Taiwanese nationals won two gold and five bronze medals, a spectator at a badminton match was removed for holding up a sign that read “Let’s go Taiwan!” Besides Taiwan, only Russia and Belarus are subject to this cancellation by the International Olympic Committee. Both currently compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), due to their invasion of Ukraine, and in the case of Russia, doping scandals as well. Read ALEC’s Elite Athletes and Doping – An International Problem with Geopolitical Roots for more on Russian athletes’ disregard for Olympic rules on prohibited substances.

In the scheme of things, the PRC’s distortion of UNGA 2758 to prohibit Taiwanese displays of national identity at an athletic competition is minor compared to other ways this resolution is weaponized. However, the symbolic impact facilitates the delegitimization of this great democracy and strategic partner to the United States. Taiwan has a name, flag, and national anthem, and all should be sported with pride at the Olympics!