In an unprecedented video conference with the United Nation Correspondents Association (UNCA) last night, President Chen Shui-bian (
The president spoke on behalf of Taiwan's UN bid, saying that Taiwan's unfair exclusion from the world body was tantamount to being an "international vagabond" and thus the country was the "victim of political apartheid."
Arguing that UN Resolution 2758, which recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the representative of the people of China, did not address Taiwan's status, Chen said it is regrettable that "Resolution 2758 is wrongly interpreted to justify Taiwan's exclusion from taking part in the UN, and to deny the basic right of Taiwan's 23 million people to join the UN family."
According to UN Resolution 2758 in 1971, the PRC was dubbed the "only legitimate representative" of China. China's UN seat had previously been held by the Republic of China under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
"Taiwan is Taiwan. It will not and can not compete with China's representative in the UN," Chen said. Citing the participation of both North Korea and South Korea and West Germany and East Germany as examples of a similar situation during his speech, Chen made a point of saying that Taiwan's pursuit of UN membership was not a challenge to the PRC's place in UN.
"A free and democratic country like Taiwan ... should not be a missing piece [in the world community]," Chen said during his 10-minute opening remarks in the conference.
Noting his recent decision to cancel a portion of the Han Kuang live-fire military drill, Chen stated that his intention was to demonstrate Taiwan's sincere desire and determination for cross-strait peace.
China's incessant obstruction of Taiwan would only further lacerate the feelings of Taiwanese people toward China and further the distance between the two, Chen said, adding that Taiwan would not shy away from its duty to get involved in international affairs.
"The president will, through the event, highlight the unfairness of Taiwan's exclusion from the world body and call on the international community to support Taiwan's UN membership bid, based on the principle of equality," said Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday, prior to the staging of the one-hour conference which started at 10:30pm Taiwan time.
Due to "obstruction from China" and the UN's assertion that holding the videoconference on UN property would violate UN resolutions, officials were forced to relocate the interview to nearby UN Plaza Hotel from its original location, the association's clubroom inside UN headquarters.
Given the location change, the videoconference thus was no longer hosted by the UNCA, but rather the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York, as UNCA president Anthony Jenkins said that he did not want to set a precedent.
During the one-hour videoconference, Chen gave an introductory speech, which was then followed by an English translation presented by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
‘TROUBLEMAKER’: Most countries believe that it is China — rather than Taiwan — that is undermining regional peace and stability with its coercive tactics, the president said China should restrain itself and refrain from being a troublemaker that sabotages peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks after China Coast Guard vessels sailed into disputed waters off the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in Taiwan — following a remark Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made regarding Taiwan. Takaichi during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7 said that a “Taiwan contingency” involving a Chinese naval blockade could qualify as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, and trigger Tokyo’s deployment of its military for defense. Asked about the escalating tensions
RSS