Chen says next UN bid will use the name `Taiwan'

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said that Taiwan should make its bid to join the UN using the name "Taiwan," rather than "Republic of China."

Chen also promised that he would lead Taiwan to become one of the members of the World Health Assembly (WHA) within two years, saying that Taiwan is a sovereign nation of 23 million people whose rights and interests cannot be excluded from international society.

Praising Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) "winning priority consideration" to be the the next host of the Asian Network of Major Cities conference in 2006 despite China's oppression in Jakarta this year, adding that the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan will back the Taipei mayor as long as he needs help.

"I wanted to remind all of you that China's bullying will not be different just because you are pan-blue or pan-green," the president said.

Chen made the remarks at the campaign rally held by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei City at Da-an Forest Park to boost its five legislative candidates in the southern constituency of Taipei City.

The five candidates included incumbent legislators Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), Kuo Cheng-liang (郭正亮), Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), Lan Mei-chin (藍美津) and Taipei City Councilor Wang Shih-chien (王世堅).