The "one China" policy espoused by former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) is responsible for Taiwan's international isolation today and prevents the country from joining groups such as the UN, a national policy advisor to President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen Lung-chu (陳隆志), a former researcher at Yale University Law School, blamed Taiwan's problems today on Chiang's strict adherence to the policy and his claim that the KMT represented all of China.
Chen, in making a presentation entitled "Taiwan and the UN" at the Presidential Office yesterday, said a new path should be taken so that the nation can join international groups like the UN.
PHOTO: CNA
"A new approach would be more viable and practical than measures taken over the past nine years by Taiwan in its bid to join the UN," Chen said.
He was addressing the monthly Sun Yat-sen meeting (國父紀念月會) at the Presidential Office, which major officials from the five branches of the government must attend.
Chen said that now that Taiwan is a member of the WTO, which he called an "economic and trade UN," the most important goal for the country today is representation for Taiwan's 22 million people in the UN.
He blamed Chiang and the KMT -- which espoused the "one China" policy and claimed to represent all of China -- for Taiwan's expulsion from the group.
"Ironically, former president Chiang Kai-shek created all the problems standing in the way of Taiwan's entry into the UN today, because he clung to the `one China policy,'" Chen said. "But Chiang's communist opponent won the right to represent China and Taiwan gradually disappeared from the world stage."
And the general's refusal to give up the country he lost to the communists has hurt Taiwan until this day, Chen said.
Beijing has used Chiang's words against Taiwan to isolate it internationally.
"Because of his stubbornness and refusal of suggestions [from Taiwan's allies to accept] `two Chinas' or `one China, one Taiwan,' he failed to consider the long-term interests of all Taiwanese and finally allowed the PRC to replace the ROC in the international community," Chen said.
The scholar said Taiwan should apply to join the UN under Article Four of the group's charter governing memberships. He added that the country's population, which is larger than 75 percent of all UN members, should have its voice heard.
"The key element is that we should apply for full membership under the name `Taiwan' instead of just as an `observer,' in order to avoid being downgraded by China," he said.
"If we cannot insist that Taiwan is an independent sovereign country, who else can speak for us?"
In closing, Chen said UN Resolution 2758 clearly states that the PRC replaces the ROC as the government representing China.
But the resolution deals only with the question of China's representation and not the issue of Taiwan's sovereignty, he said.
"The resolution didn't mention relations between the PRC and Taiwan. Nor did it recognize the PRC's claim that `Taiwan is a part of China,' nor did it authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan and its people in the UN," Chen said.
Taiwan as a full UN member would be financially supportive of the organization's budget plans and other activities while offering the world its experience in economic development, he said.
Most importantly, Chen said, UN membership would significantly increase the country's security.
In addition to advanced arms and weapons systems, security requires acceptance of the international community, he said.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a