Taiwan's U.N. bid unrelated to independence: MOFA
ROC Central News Agency
2007-08-31 13:41:24
Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reiterated Thursday that Taiwan's bid to gain membership in the United Nations has nothing to do with seeking so-called "de jure independence, " because Taiwan is already a sovereign independent country.
The MOFA dismissed as "misleading" China's claim that U.N. Resolution 2758 of 1971, which replaced the Republic of China on Taiwan with the People's Republic of China as the sole representative of China in the United Nations, recognizes Taiwan as part of China.
The MOFA made the clarification in a written statement, in response to a letter dated Aug. 17 that was written by China's U.N. permanent representative Wang Guangya to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Referring to a request by some of Taiwan's diplomatic allies that Taiwan's U.N. membership application be considered in the upcoming session of the General Assembly, Wang described the move as "a blatant attempt to clamor for and create Taiwan independence."
Wang claimed resolution 2758 "is based on a self-evident fact that China is an integrated country and that Taiwan is a part of China."
According to Wang, the resolution resolved the question of China's representation in the United Nations "once and for all, politically, legally and in terms of procedures."
However, the MOFA argued in the statement that the resolution did not define the relationship between Taiwan and China nor did it empower the People's Republic of China to represent Taiwan in the United Nations.
The MOFA said Taiwan has no intention of challenging the PRC's representation in the United Nations, noting that the ROC has since 1991 no longer claimed to represent the whole of China and that the bid that the country has been promoting since 1993 to participate in the United Nations does not involve the question of "representation of China."
Taiwan, which maintains diplomatic relations with 24 countries around the world, is undoubtedly a sovereign country independent of China and is entitled to the right to become a full member of the world body, the MOFA said.
According to the MOFA, a consensus is lacking among U.N. member states on the relationship between Taiwan and China, and the United Nations should stop claiming that it follows a "one China" policy.
Of all 169 countries maintaining diplomatic relations with China, only fewer than 60 recognize or support the notion of Taiwan as a part of the PRC, while others simply "acknowledge" China's position or do not take a stance at all, the MOFA said.
On Wang's accusation that Taiwan is attempting to change the cross-strait status quo that "both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China" and working towards "de jure Taiwan independence" by pushing for a referendum on the U.N. bid, the MOFA reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign independent country known officially as the Republic of China and has no need to declare independence.
The MOFA noted that Taiwan and China have been ruled separately and have been independent of each other since 1949, a situation which remains the status quo to this day.
President Chen Shui-bian sent a membership application letter on behalf of Taiwan to Ban July 19, but the letter was returned based on Resolution 2758. Chen sent a second letter July 31 to the U.N. secretary-general urging him to reconsider his decision, but the letter was also returned.
On Aug. 13, 15 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies submitted a motion to the General Assembly requesting that the Security Council process Taiwan's membership application according to established procedures, in the hope that the motion can be included on the agenda of the 62nd regular session of the General Assembly set to open Sept. 18 in New York.
(By Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/Li
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