China says Taiwan ‘has no right’ to join UN, after US nod

China has again said that Taiwan has “no right” to join the United Nations, a day after the United States voiced support for the island’s “meaningful participation” at the organisation.

Taiwan had held the Chinese seat at the organisation until October 25, 1971, when it was voted out as representative of the country in favour of the People’s Republic of China, which won the civil war in 1949 and forced the republican government to flee to the island.

Since then, Taipei has regularly sought increased participation at the UN and its array of bodies.

On Wednesday, in response to US support for Taipei’s endeavour, the spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing Ma Xiaoguang said Taiwan “has no right to join the United Nations”.

“The United Nations is an international governmental organisation composed of sovereign states … Taiwan is a part of China,” Xiaoguang told reporters.