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MAC pans PRC aggression

China's ongoing suppression of Taiwan's bid for participation in international activities over the past few years is driven by China's attempt to eradicate the Republic of China and annex Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday.

Describing the attempts as outrageous, Tung expressed Taiwan's strong protest and extreme resentment over China's suppression, referring to a resolution proposed by China to downgrade Taiwan's membership status in the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Tung made the remarks in an address to the opening of this year's Youth Scholar Forum held by National Taiwan Normal University.

Addressing the OIE issue, Tung accused China of "blackmailing" the OIE with its political power amidst the increasingly important subject of animal epidemics.

The OIE's highest authority, the International Committee, passed the resolution a day earlier during its general assembly, saying that the OIE notes China's view that the People's Republic of China is China's only legitimate government for the "whole" of China, which it describes as including Taiwan, and that Taiwan can only take part in the OIE as a "non-sovereign regional member" under the appellation of "Chinese Taipei."

resolution

The resolution was passed with a vote of 113-12, with five abstentions. The US voted for the resolution, while Japan abstained.

Taiwan joined the OIE in 1954 under the name "Republic of China (Taiwan)," but was forced to change it to "Taipei China" after Beijing was admitted to the organization in 1992.

dissatisfied

However, China remained dissatisfied with the alteration. In an attempt to push the OIE to change Taiwan's membership name, China refused to participate in OIE activities or pay its membership fees.

To try to resolve the problem, the OIE International Committee passed a resolution in 2003 to change Taiwan's membership name from "Taipei China" to "Separate Quarantine Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu."

At that time, Taiwan made clear that it would accept the new name but China refused to accept the resolution and did not take part in the final vote on the issue.
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