Instead of joining the UN, Taiwan should first try to join working organizations sponsored by the UN, Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
A statement issued yesterday by the KMT quoted Lien as saying that Taiwan has had difficulty returning to the UN because of its feud with China.
PHOTO: CNA
However, Lien pointed out, there are many UN-sponsored working organizations which do not require statehood and therefore should be easier for Taiwan to join.
As a country with an advanced economy, Taiwan would be a valuable member of such organizations, most of which are formed for the purposes of improving weather forecasting, medical care, crime fighting, the environment and coordinating monetary policies.
Citing Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization, Lien noted that the country had to fight the SARS outbreaks alone earlier this year and became an loophole in the worldwide defenses against the epidemic.
Lien said the example serves as evidence that the absence of Taiwan from these UN-sponsored working groups is a loss not only to Taiwan but also to the whole world.
The KMT statement did not say when and where the interview was conducted, or whether it has been published or not.
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