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Gaining UN entry requires patience

The 56th General Assembly of the UN is set to open in September. Ten countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan have jointly raised a proposal asking that the issue of the country's participation in the UN be included on the assembly's agenda.

This is Taiwan's ninth attempt to rejoin the world body. The prospects for success are not good, but then, Taiwan cannot expect overnight success. It took the Chinese communist government 21 years and plenty of dollar diplomacy to replace the ROC in the world body in 1971. To gain better results, Taiwan needs to make sustained, patient efforts and adopt different strategies for different times.

This year, a new format has emerged in Taiwan's efforts to rejoin the UN. The difference this time is that the efforts are not limited to inside the UN. Andrew Hsia (夏立言), director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, invited UN representatives from some of Taiwan's allies to a tea party on Aug. 8, where the joint proposal was announced to the media. At the party, those representatives explained the purpose of their proposal so that the world may better understand Taiwan's plight, having lost its basic rights in the international community.

On Aug. 15, during a CNN interview in front of UN headquarters, Hsia said that UN Resolution No. 2758, passed in 1971, only resolved the question of the right to represent mainland China; it did not resolve the question of the right to represent Taiwan's 23 million people. This has affected the participation of Taiwan's government, NGOs and the general public in international events.

Indeed, the Chinese government has made optimum use of the UN resolution to block Taiwan's participation in economic, cultural and sporting events around the world. Taiwan has also been kept out of the WHO, as if the health issues of Taiwan's 23 million people are not within the concerns of that august organization.

Beijing was extremely nervous in its response to the proposal. Shen Guofang (沈國放), China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said Taiwan's efforts were doomed to fail. Wang Yingfan (王英凡), China's representative to the UN, rejected CNN's request to interview him together with Hsia. But then CNN also rejected Wang's request to be interviewed in its next program. In trying to sow discord within Taiwan, China has talked repeatedly about equality between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Wang's refusal to be interviewed on an equal basis with Taiwan's representative only shows Beijing's hegemonic attitude toward Taiwan.

Taiwanese expatriates in the US have also kicked off civic events in coordination with Taiwan's efforts to rejoin the UN. Taiwanese organizations have been lobbying US politicians not to oppose Taiwan's return to the UN. Expatriates on the east coast are also planning to hold a rally when the General Assembly opens on Sept. 11. A similar event was held at last year's assembly but the turnout was relatively small. This time, the event has won the support of immigrants who sympathize with Taiwan. The organizers expect up to 2,000 people to show up at the rally.

Given the changes in international politics -- including George W. Bush's inauguration as US president, Taiwan and China's imminent entry into the WTO and Beijing's successful bid to host the Olympic Games -- the question of whether the Chinese communist government will behave in accordance with international norms, including whether it will handle cross-strait relations by peaceful means and with respect for human rights, will also come under increasing international attention.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.

Translated by Francis Huang
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