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Wang promotes UN bid on New York visit

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.
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