Wednesday, August 22, 2007
China may ask UN to vote on Taiwan as part of China
Sat, 11 Aug 2007 GMT
Taipei - China, to block Taiwan from seeking to join the United Nations, plans to ask UN members to cast vote on whether Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China, a newspaper said Sunday. The United Daily News quoted The Nelson Report, a daily newsletter on policy issues in Washington, as saying that the US was shocked that when Taiwan recently applied to join the UN, the UN rejected the bid by interpreting Resolution 2758 as ruling that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Washington is worried that China may ask UN members to cast vote on whether Taiwan is part of the PRC. That would put the United States in an awkward position, because Washington will be asked to clarify its stance on Taiwan.
The US switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, but it signed the Taiwan Relations Act, pledging to continue to sell defensive arms to Taiwan.
Since then, the US has maintained an ambiguous stance on Taiwan, neither supporting nor opposing Taiwan independence but leaving it as a matter for peaceful resolution.
The dispute over Taiwan's UN seat dates to the Chinese Civil War, which ended in 1949 when the victorious Communists founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, forcing the Republic of China (ROC) government to move its seat to Taiwan.
The international community, refusing to recognize the PRC as the legitimate Chinese government, allowed the exiled ROC government to keep China's seat at the United Nations.
In 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, accepting the PRC and expelling the ROC, or the Taiwan government.
Since 1993, Taiwan has tried to rejoin the UN under its official name as the Republic of China. After failing annually, this year Taiwan decided to apply for UN membership as Taiwan.
President Chen Shui-bian has sent two letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requesting UN membership for Taiwan. Ban ignored the letters, saying the UN abides by Resolution 2758, which says that Taiwan is part of China.
Chen argued that Resolution 2758 has solved the problem of China's representation in the UN but leaves unresolved Taiwan's representation in the UN.
Chen claimed that Taiwan is a sovereign nation, currently recognized by 24 countries.
Taiwan's move is unlikely to succeed in the near future, as the overwhelming majority of the 192 UN member countries have diplomatic ties with China and accept China's claim to the island. China is also one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Taipei - China, to block Taiwan from seeking to join the United Nations, plans to ask UN members to cast vote on whether Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China, a newspaper said Sunday. The United Daily News quoted The Nelson Report, a daily newsletter on policy issues in Washington, as saying that the US was shocked that when Taiwan recently applied to join the UN, the UN rejected the bid by interpreting Resolution 2758 as ruling that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Washington is worried that China may ask UN members to cast vote on whether Taiwan is part of the PRC. That would put the United States in an awkward position, because Washington will be asked to clarify its stance on Taiwan.
The US switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, but it signed the Taiwan Relations Act, pledging to continue to sell defensive arms to Taiwan.
Since then, the US has maintained an ambiguous stance on Taiwan, neither supporting nor opposing Taiwan independence but leaving it as a matter for peaceful resolution.
The dispute over Taiwan's UN seat dates to the Chinese Civil War, which ended in 1949 when the victorious Communists founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, forcing the Republic of China (ROC) government to move its seat to Taiwan.
The international community, refusing to recognize the PRC as the legitimate Chinese government, allowed the exiled ROC government to keep China's seat at the United Nations.
In 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, accepting the PRC and expelling the ROC, or the Taiwan government.
Since 1993, Taiwan has tried to rejoin the UN under its official name as the Republic of China. After failing annually, this year Taiwan decided to apply for UN membership as Taiwan.
President Chen Shui-bian has sent two letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requesting UN membership for Taiwan. Ban ignored the letters, saying the UN abides by Resolution 2758, which says that Taiwan is part of China.
Chen argued that Resolution 2758 has solved the problem of China's representation in the UN but leaves unresolved Taiwan's representation in the UN.
Chen claimed that Taiwan is a sovereign nation, currently recognized by 24 countries.
Taiwan's move is unlikely to succeed in the near future, as the overwhelming majority of the 192 UN member countries have diplomatic ties with China and accept China's claim to the island. China is also one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Labels: Taiwan
¶ 2:39 PM
