MOFA sincerely thanks US Secretary of Transportation Duffy for publicly voicing support for Taiwan’s participation at 42nd ICAO Assembly, solemnly refutes China’s false claims

MOFA sincerely thanks US Secretary of Transportation Duffy for publicly voicing support for Taiwan's participation at 42nd ICAO Assembly, solemnly refutes China's false claims

• Date：2025-09-24
• Data Source：Department of International Organizations

September 24, 2025
No. 363

The 42nd session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly commenced in Montreal, Canada, on September 23. Speaking at a session on the opening day, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy publicly expressed support for Taiwan, emphasizing that Taiwan's inclusion in ICAO was about the safety and security of the global system and saying that there was no room for politics on this question. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks the Trump administration for staunchly supporting Taiwan's bid for international participation.

During the assembly, Deputy Administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China Liang Nan repeated China's distortion of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and referred to the so-called "one China principle," attempting to impede Taiwan's participation in international organizations and multilateral mechanisms through political manipulation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns Ms. Liang's statements.

MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent state and that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People's Republic of China (PRC) is subordinate to the other. This is the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and an internationally accepted, objective fact. UNGA Resolution 2758 makes no mention of Taiwan nor states that Taiwan is part of the PRC. Moreover, the resolution does not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the United Nations and thus cannot be cited as a rationale for excluding Taiwan from the UN system or other multilateral organizations. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the right to represent Taiwan in ICAO, other bodies of the UN system, and elsewhere in the international arena.

MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration is the sole competent authority for the Taipei Flight Information Region, overseeing over one million flights annually and ensuring the safety of tens of millions of passengers. Only by including Taiwan in ICAO can the integrity and safety of the global civil aviation system be effectively ensured. MOFA urges ICAO to firmly reject political pressure from China and to invite Taiwan to take part in its meetings, mechanisms, and activities at the earliest possible juncture. (E)