Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), has made various efforts to rejoin the UN after it was expelled and China was admitted as the sole government of Chinese people in 1971. At times Taiwan has made formal efforts, seeking the help of allies of the ROC and making official appeals to enter the world body.
At other times, unofficial efforts have been made, with Taiwanese demonstrating at the UN and in other locations. To date, all efforts have been unsuccessful and Taiwan remains outside the UN, although it can participate minimally in a few of its organizations.
It is well known that Taiwan lost its seat in the UN to China in 1971, after a long fight colored by the Cold War and East-West confrontation. At the time, with UN Resolution 2758, the General Assembly decided “to recognize the representatives of [the Government of the People’s Republic of China] as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations” (Taiwan has sought without success to repeal Resolution 2758).
Taiwan was then referred to as a “Province of China,” which is still largely in effect around the world, but many people strongly disagree with this. Demonstrations have taken place in Taiwan, the US and other countries seeking to rectify the situation and “bring Taiwan to the international table.”
The essential question that limits Taiwan’s recognition by other nations and its admission into the UN is whether Taiwan is really a sovereign nation. Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations with only 20 nations, including the Holy See, Taiwan’s only European ally.
Many people think it is long overdue for Taiwan to be readmitted into the UN and such a move would be a just solution that would allow fair representation of Taiwan’s 23 million citizens in world affairs.
The Taiwan United Nations Alliance submitted a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently that said: “Bringing Taiwan into the UN system will … help strengthen peace and stability in the entire Asia-Pacific region and make the UN better represented;” goals that few could argue with.
Some in Taiwan have said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is not doing enough to join the UN.
Indeed, the nation has dropped most of its efforts to formally join the UN with the support of ROC allies. This approach was seen most prominently in former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) era, who sought such admission annually and said in an address in 2007 that: “We want to use the name of Taiwan to actively join the international community, join international organizations and join the UN and help Taiwan establish a new identity and status on the world map.”
Although allies, such as Nauru, have spoken on Taiwan’s behalf, the nation is making a minimal concerted effort. There has been talk of a referendum to demonstrate the collective will of the people and announce Taiwan’s sovereignty (this might include changes to the Constitution), but no such referendum has taken place.
Needless to say, China has opposed any such efforts. Beijing’s claim is that Taiwan is not a sovereign nation and that Taiwan “belongs” to China, at the very least as a province, with a small measure of independent power.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said: “In 1971, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China as a member of the UN, thus making Taiwan an international orphan.”
Does Taiwan deserve such a fate? Can and should Taiwan be allowed back into the UN as a participating nation?
Though the Tsai government has not done much in support of this issue, the nation has been active at the UN General Assembly this year, employing “diverse channels [to] amplify its efforts.”
“The ROC government has requested that diplomatic allies speak up for Taiwan at the General Debate and their permanent representatives to the UN sign a joint letter … [dealing] with the issue of Taiwan’s participation in the UN in a fair manner consistent with the values of the UN Charter. The nation has three goals: Let Taiwan take part in an appropriate manner in UN specialized agencies; Taiwanese should be allowed to enter UN grounds when holding valid identification documents issued by their government; and the UN should include Taiwan in meetings, mechanisms and activities aimed at achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals” a government news release said.
“These are all worthwhile goals and we wish the nation luck in its work at the UN,” it added.
However, some people have said that Taiwan is not a truly independent and sovereign nation. Many points militate against this — the nation has its own military, a permanent population, its own governing bodies and a president, its own legal territory, its own visa system and currency, and its own long-standing culture and history.
Yet, naysayers could argue that Taiwan has not declared independence and that the vast majority of nations worldwide do not recognize the nation. This is a burden that weighs heavily on Taiwan and will likely prevent any possibility of joining the UN.
Taiwan has de jure independence, but this has not proven to be enough on the international scene — and the nation should not depend on buzz words to solve its problems.
A secondary solution could be something along the lines of “recognition” by the UN without actual membership (similar to Palestine, which has non-member observer state status).
However, would China allow this? Probably not — which leaves only one other possibility: A declaration of independence by Taiwan.
This is another can of worms, which could at worst result in war, but it is the view of this observer that this might be the only solution. South Sudan, East Timor, Palau and the Czech Republic have all done just this. There is no reason it should be impossible for Taiwan.
Yes, war with China is a frightening possibility, but many smaller countries have warred with larger nations and won their independence (East Timor against Indonesia is a good recent example, and the US was much weaker than England when it launched a war of independence).
This is not to say that we invite or look forward to such a war, but if China were faced with Taiwanese independence, it would have no choice but to accept the reality and live with it in a negotiated settlement.
Some have said that China might not have the actual military ability to conquer Taiwan.
Not only is Taiwan’s military one of the more formidable in the world (ranked 13th by some observers), but many doubt that China has the actual amphibious capability to convey a large army to the nation.
No doubt China could do great damage with its missiles and air force and a large paratrooper drop could conceivably overthrow the government temporarily, but that might not actually win a war.
In terms of negotiation, it might be possible to discuss with China the possibility of an “alliance” or “unification” that would give Taiwan independence, while simultaneously working with China in a cooperative way (this might be a “one country, two systems” formula, but best outcomes could possibly be agreed to by Taiwan).
These are all big maybes, but Taiwan in all respects appears to be an independent nation with a proud, autonomous people. It has been noted that Taiwan, a vibrant democracy, has shown that a free voting public is possible in Asia — which China has often denied, claiming “socialism with Chinese characteristics” is the best answer.
An East Asian Democracy Forum in New York last week discussed this and experts said that a Taiwan model and experience represent a genuine contribution to UN values, and thus the nation should be admitted.
Something needs to be done to get the ball rolling. At the very least, the government should be taking stronger action and should — with the cooperation of China (and many another countries around the world) — be trying to make UN membership and participation for Taiwan not just a remote possibility, but a reality.
“The ROC government urges the UN to take seriously the fundamental right of the 23 million people of Taiwan to participate in the UN system,” the government has said.
We hope this can come to pass.
David Pendery is an associate professor at National Taipei University of Business.
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