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Returned letter on Taiwan's U.N. membership application received

ROC Central News Agency

2007-08-03 11:56:10

    New York, Aug. 2 (CNA) Swaziland's ambassador to the United Nations has received a letter containing Taiwan's U.N. membership application which was returned by Wang Guangya, China's U.N. ambassador who served as rotating president of the U.N. Security Council for July, Taiwan officials posted in New York said Thursday.

    The letter, signed by President Chen Shui-bian, was delivered July 31 to Wang through the U.N. ambassadors of Swaziland and the Solomon Islands, two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

    Wang told the press Wednesday that he returned the letter the same day that he received it.

    China's state-controlled Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang as calling Taiwan's latest move "a very serious separatist act seeking independence for Taiwan" and saying that China is firmly opposed to it.

    Also on July 31, the ambassadors of Swaziland and the Solomon Islands delivered on behalf of Taiwan another letter signed by President Chen to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

    Ban, who is on a visit to Haiti and Barbados, has not made an official response to Chen's second letter to him. Ban returned Chen's previous letter July 23 through the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs.

    U.N. officials said the letter was returned in keeping with Resolution 2758, which they pointed out is the basis of the "one China" policy of the United Nations.

    The resolution was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1971 recognizing the representatives of the People's Republic of China government as "the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations" and expelling representatives of the Republic of China.

    The Republic of China has tried without success to re-enter the United Nations since 1993. This year marks the first time it has changed tactics by bidding to join the world body under the name of "Taiwan."

    In the latest letter to Ban, President Chen asserted Taiwan's status as an independent sovereign nation that is entitled to membership in the United Nations.

    Chen argued that U.N. Resolution 2758 neither grants China the right to represent Taiwan at the United Nations nor states that Taiwan is either a part of China or the People's Republic of China.

(By Hwang Jaw-pyng and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li