The 56th General Assembly of the UN is set to open in September. Ten countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan have jointly raised a proposal asking that the issue of the country's participation in the UN be included on the assembly's agenda.
This is Taiwan's ninth attempt to rejoin the world body. The prospects for success are not good, but then, Taiwan cannot expect overnight success. It took the Chinese communist government 21 years and plenty of dollar diplomacy to replace the ROC in the world body in 1971. To gain better results, Taiwan needs to make sustained, patient efforts and adopt different strategies for different times.
This year, a new format has emerged in Taiwan's efforts to rejoin the UN. The difference this time is that the efforts are not limited to inside the UN. Andrew Hsia (
On Aug. 15, during a CNN interview in front of UN headquarters, Hsia said that UN Resolution No. 2758, passed in 1971, only resolved the question of the right to represent mainland China; it did not resolve the question of the right to represent Taiwan's 23 million people. This has affected the participation of Taiwan's government, NGOs and the general public in international events.
Indeed, the Chinese government has made optimum use of the UN resolution to block Taiwan's participation in economic, cultural and sporting events around the world. Taiwan has also been kept out of the WHO, as if the health issues of Taiwan's 23 million people are not within the concerns of that august organization.
Beijing was extremely nervous in its response to the proposal. Shen Guofang (沈國放), China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said Taiwan's efforts were doomed to fail. Wang Yingfan (王英凡), China's representative to the UN, rejected CNN's request to interview him together with Hsia. But then CNN also rejected Wang's request to be interviewed in its next program. In trying to sow discord within Taiwan, China has talked repeatedly about equality between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Wang's refusal to be interviewed on an equal basis with Taiwan's representative only shows Beijing's hegemonic attitude toward Taiwan.
Taiwanese expatriates in the US have also kicked off civic events in coordination with Taiwan's efforts to rejoin the UN. Taiwanese organizations have been lobbying US politicians not to oppose Taiwan's return to the UN. Expatriates on the east coast are also planning to hold a rally when the General Assembly opens on Sept. 11. A similar event was held at last year's assembly but the turnout was relatively small. This time, the event has won the support of immigrants who sympathize with Taiwan. The organizers expect up to 2,000 people to show up at the rally.
Given the changes in international politics -- including George W. Bush's inauguration as US president, Taiwan and China's imminent entry into the WTO and Beijing's successful bid to host the Olympic Games -- the question of whether the Chinese communist government will behave in accordance with international norms, including whether it will handle cross-strait relations by peaceful means and with respect for human rights, will also come under increasing international attention.
Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.
Translated by Francis Huang
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS