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Opinion / Commentary
Taiwan's UN bid will end in failure
By Wu Miaofa (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-20 07:23
The United Nations General Assembly opened its 62nd session on Tuesday.
At the same time, the Taiwan authorities' bid for "UN membership", which
serves the purposes of Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, is moving ahead at
an accelerated pace.
While Chen's three letters to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, pressing
for UN membership, have been rejected, the Taiwan authorities, using
money to pave the way, have made a few small countries submit a draft
resolution, asking that the General Committee of the UN General Assembly
put the matter of "Taiwan's UN membership" on the formal agenda of the
62nd session.
This is an attempt to shake the legitimate foundation of UN General
Assembly Resolution 2758 which, adopted by the 26th session of the UN
General Assembly in 1971, restored the legal right of the People's
Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations. The resolution stipulated
clearly that the government of the PRC is the sole legitimate
representative of China in the UN and expelled the Chiang Kai-shek clique
from the United Nations and all its organizations.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed at a press
conference that Taiwan's bid to apply for UN membership is legally
impossible.
The Taiwan leadership's desperate moves have aroused concern in the
United States, the European Union, Asia, Oceania, Latin America and
Africa. They are worried that Chen's acts could trigger tensions across
the Taiwan Straits, in Asia-Pacific, and, possibly, the world at large.
Consequently, how the General Assembly deals with the matter will be the
focus of attention in and outside the UN.
It is expected that the vast majority of the General Committee of UN
General Assembly members will exclude the "Taiwan UN membership" draft
resolution from the formal agenda. It is also expected that a number of
countries will voice their firm support for UN Resolution 2758 and lash
out at Taiwan authorities' secessionist moves, during the three-week
general debate, which begins on September 25.
Chen and his followers will find themselves in isolation.
As a result of the one-China principle firmly established internationally
under UN Resolution 2758, more than 30 countries established diplomatic
ties with the People's Republic of China in the decade between the early
1970s and early 1980s.
All these countries, in addition to those that already had formal
relations with China, acknowledged that the government of the People's
Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and that Taiwan
is an integral part of the country.
When the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations with
China respectively in the late and early 1970s, they made exactly the
same statement.
The principle that Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territories
has long been affirmed by a number of important international agreements
such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration.
So far, the number of countries that have diplomatic relations with the
People's Republic of China stands at 169, all acknowledging the one-China
principle.
However, turning a blind eye to this reality, Taiwan leader Chen and his
followers are making desperate efforts to get Taiwan, a province of
China, into the United Nations as a member of this international
organization composed of sovereign states.
This is naked secessionist action, which also poses a grave challenge to
international law and the international community as well.
Gaining UN membership for Taiwan is an indispensable part of Chen's
"Taiwan independence" undertaking which he has been masterminding since
he became Taiwan's leader in 2000.
With regard to "Taiwan's UN membership", Chen has been playing a number
of cards.
First, he plays the card of "Taiwan's international living space",
claiming that Taiwan's international space is much compressed, in the
hope of winning compassion from those who are unfamiliar with the whole
picture of the Taiwan question.
His next card is that Taiwan is unable to enjoy international democracy.
Claiming that Taiwan is already a "democracy", Chen and his followers
complain that Taiwan is deprived of "democratic rights" and urge the
international community to extend to the island a helping hand.
He also has in his hand a third card - replacing one concept with a
different one stealthily. The universal nature of the United Nations, for
example, should not leave any country outside its ambit. So, Taiwan
should not be left in the wilderness, according to his logic.
But, it should be noted, Taiwan is not a sovereign state and it joining
the United Nations, an organization composed of countries of independent
sovereignty, is out of the question.
In Chen's logic, the borders between "Taiwan" and "the sovereign state"
are completely blurred.
Also he has the money card. Dangling a cash bag before some small
countries in Central America, Africa and in other regions, Chen has made
them beat the drum for Taiwan's bid for UN membership.
The question arises: Why does the United States adopt a tough stand
against Taiwan's "UN membership referendum?"
China-US relations have taken many twists and turns, but today it enjoys
smooth development, which should be cherished by both sides.
The Taiwan question holds an extremely sensitive position in China-US
relations.
The bottom line of the US is that the status quo across the Taiwan
Straits must not be altered, while Washington develops ties with the
Chinese mainland and also maintains relations with Taiwan under the
Taiwan Relations Act.
China, on its part, holds that Taiwan is an integral part of its
territories and it is determined to achieve the reunification of the
motherland by using peaceful means.
But the bottom line is: Never under any circumstances, can Taiwan secede
from the motherland. Hence the National People's Congress' passage of the
Anti-Secession Law.
While the US wants to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Straits,
China intends to maintain peace across the Straits.
However, this is being continually challenged by Chen who has overstepped
the boundary.
Chen is getting increasingly louder in his "Taiwan independence" bid and
increasingly defiant in "Taiwan independence" actions.
In view of this, President Hu Jintao told US President George W. Bush
that the situation across the Taiwan Straits will be the most risky
between now and next year, at their meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Co-operation earlier this month in Sydney. President Hu also suggested
that still stronger warnings should be issued to the Taiwan authorities.
Presented with this grave situation, the US has to show its position is
clear-cut in order that its diplomatic strategy is not disrupted and also
for the sake of its national security interests.
Three incumbent senior State Department officials, including John
Negroponte and Thomas Christensen, and two former ones, including Colin
Powell, have stepped into the open and spoken on the issue.
Their messages boil down to: Chen Shui-bian's "UN membership referendum"
is tantamount to a step toward "Taiwan independence" and the United
States is opposed to it.
Neither Taiwan nor "the Republic of China" is a sovereign state and it
is, therefore, not qualified for membership of the United Nations which
is composed of countries of independent sovereignty.
Chen's acts have done harm to US national security interests and also
breached the bottom line of the Chinese mainland.
Fighting against "Taiwan independence" is a herculean task. We should,
therefore, keep a close watch on the situation unfolding and handle any
emergency sober-mindedly. Also, we should get prepared for whatever
degree of tension arises across the Taiwan Straits.
At the same time, we should reinforce communications with the US so that
the situation does not get out of control, which is in the strategic
interests of both countries.
The author is a researcher with China Institute of International Studies
(China Daily 09/20/2007 page10)
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