US Once 'Not Opposed' to Taiwan Joining UN as Sovereign State, Declassified Files Reveal

Declassified documents suggest the United States once entertained the possibility of Taiwan joining the United Nations as a sovereign state, a prospect that fueled then-President Lee Teng-hui's hopes for expanding Taiwan's international standing. According to Lin Hsiao-ting, director of East Asian collections at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Washington's stance in the early 1990s was not entirely dismissive of Taiwan's bid to join the UN under its own sovereign status.

Lin, who authored "The Lee Teng-hui Era of Taiwan: Remaking an Accidental Nation" based on extensive archival research, noted that in December 1991, Taiwan's representative to the US, David Ting, inquired with the State Department about the possibility. At the time, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Solomon reportedly did not outright reject the idea, suggesting that while closer engagement with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was an immediate goal, the UN issue could be discussed later in President George H.W. Bush's second term.

“

Washington once gave Lee Teng-hui a kind of unrealistic fantasy.

This private assurance reportedly bolstered Lee's confidence. He frequently highlighted Taiwan's political reforms and its pursuit of international participation when meeting foreign dignitaries, often criticizing Beijing's outdated thinking and lack of democratic understanding. After Taiwan's legislative and National Assembly elections were completed, Lee communicated these democratic advancements to President Bush, seeking direct high-level communication channels with the US by promising continued democratization and liberalization.

“

Washington's near-term goal was to actively assist Taiwan in joining GATT, and the UN matter could be discussed in President Bush's second term.

Lin emphasized that the US did not completely shut the door on Taiwan's UN aspirations at that time. Ting immediately cabled the news back to Lee, who personally reviewed it. While acknowledging that Lee was not naive about the immediate prospects of rejoining the UN, Lin stated that the international community was not entirely against Taiwan's participation in global affairs. Lee's reformist image as a "Mr. Democracy" and Taiwan's economic strength provided a foundation for his pursuit.

However, the political landscape shifted significantly with the end of Bush's presidency. Lin described the subsequent Clinton administration, including its foreign policy officials, as generally unfriendly towards Taiwan. A pivotal moment came in May 1994, when the Clinton administration denied Lee a transit visa for an overnight stay during his trip to Central and South America. Feeling humiliated, Lee refused to disembark his plane in Hawaii. This incident reportedly solidified his determination to set foot on US soil as a sitting ROC president, a goal he achieved in June 1995 with his speech at Cornell University.

“

Clinton's second term clearly began to be unfriendly to Taiwan.

Lin further pointed out that Clinton's second term saw a more pronounced unfriendliness. During his visit to Shanghai in 1998, Clinton publicly articulated the "new three noes" policy, which opposed Taiwan's independence, "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and Taiwan's membership in international organizations requiring sovereign state status. Lee himself reportedly confided that Clinton's final four years in office were particularly challenging for him.

“

Clinton's last four years in office were the four years that made him feel most troubled.