Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said on Thursday that the new administration would push forward with the nation’s bid to join the UN.
“Taiwan will definitely go ahead with its UN membership bid this year, as joining the international body is its established policy,” Wang told reporters upon his arrival in New York for a two-day visit.
However, Wang said that it was unlikely that the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would file an application for UN membership under the name “Taiwan,” which was used by the former Democratic Progressive Party government in its UN bid last year.
Asked whether the new administration is likely to apply for Taiwan’s UN membership under the name “Chinese Taipei,” Wang said the president had directed relevant government agencies to study the issue.
FAILED REFERENDUMS
Two referendums on the country’s entry into the global body under the name Taiwan and the national title Republic of China (ROC) — held alongside the March 22 presidential election — failed because neither of them attracted enough votes to make the outcomes binding. The Ma administration is expected to take a new tack in promoting the country’s UN bid.
Wang said he would host a banquet to honor UN ambassadors of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies yesterday. The event will be held to solicit their support for Taiwan’s UN membership bid during the upcoming annual meeting of the 63rd UN General Assembly, scheduled to open in mid-September.
Because of China’s obstruction, Taiwan has failed every year for more than a decade to regain its UN membership, which it lost in 1971.
US SUPPORT
Wang said he hoped that the US would continue to support Taiwan’s accession to global bodies that do not require statehood for membership.
“Taiwan is also looking forward to obtaining observer status in those organizations that do require statehood for membership, “ he said, referring to groups such as the WHO.
ENVOY LIEN
Referring to reports that Ma is expected to designate Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) honorary chairman Lien Chan (連戰) as his envoy to attend this year’s informal leadership meeting of the APEC forum scheduled for November in Peru, Wang said that Lien was well-suited to take part in the summit on Ma’s behalf.
Wang said the proposal was made to the president by an unidentified “diplomatic heavyweight.” He called for Beijing authorities not to boycott Lien’s participation in the upcoming APEC summit, if Ma does decide to send him.
APEC is one of the few international bodies that admit both Taiwan and China because its participants are labeled “member economies” and not countries. Because of China’s opposition, Taiwan’s president has been barred from personally attending APEC summits and has instead named special envoys to attend on his behalf.
Wang is making the visit at the invitation of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. He will proceed to the US capital tomorrow, where he will give a speech titled “New Beginnings in a Strong Alliance” at the foundation and meet with ranking US officials and congressmen to exchange views. The legislative head is scheduled to return to Taiwan on Aug. 1.
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there