Which event led to the PRC gaining control of China's seat on the United Nations Security Council?

• A. The ROC retained control of China's seat until 1971.
• B. The PRC gained control of China's seat on the UN Security Council in 1971.
• C. China joined the United Nations in 1955.
• D. The UN dissolved China's seat in 1960.

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is how the UN designates who represents a country on the Security Council. After the civil war, the Republic of China government held the China seat at the UN, including the Security Council. In 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, which recognized the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations and expelled the ROC from the UN. Once that recognition shifted to the PRC, the PRC took over the China seat on the Security Council as the representative of China. The other options aren’t correct because the ROC did not retain the seat until 1971, China did not join the UN in 1955 in a way that gave the PRC the Security Council seat, and the seat wasn’t dissolved in 1960.