A pamphlet containing the draft resolution prepared by the Minis-try of Foreign Affairs to seek endorsement from Taiwan's allies for its bid to enter the UN this year adopts a "new middle way," as is evident by the demonstration of independent sovereignty and the strategies for participation.
In terms of independent sovereignty, the proposal was entitled Question of the Representation of the Republic of China (Taiwan), indicating that it is a representation issue of a sovereign state. The explanatory memorandum, in particular, mentioned that the ROC is an independent sovereignty, that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan and that the population, land area and government of Taiwan all comply with the conditions stipulated in international law. It also emphasized that Taiwan is "able and willing to carry out all UN Charter obligations."
From the use of the nation's name, one sees the pamphlet was scrupulously compiled. The three names -- the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Republic of China on Taiwan and Taiwan -- were used in the pamphlet. The "Republic of China" was used in headlines and the formal proposal, while "Taiwan" was used in the detailed explanation. This arrangement must be made to seek the middle ground on the unification-independence issue -- applying the formal name of the nation and, at the same time, high-lighting "Taiwan." This is perhaps the stance most commonly used in Taiwan.
Such a statement runs close to the DPP's 1999 "Resolution on Taiwan's Future," ie, Taiwan is an independent sovereign state, not a part of the PRC and its name is the ROC. But the pamphlet retained some flexibility because the draft resolution demanded that the UN recognize the right of the 23 million people of the ROC on Taiwan to representation in the UN system. This is a method that seeks independent sovereignty and, simultaneously, remains flexible in the use of the nation's name.
The pamphlet placed more emphasis on adjusting strategies than on independent sovereignty. Most importantly, in terms of the general direction, the proposal has abandoned the practice of requesting that the UN establish a working group or special committee, but, instead, appeals directly for Tai-wan's representation in the UN. Requesting the world body to form any group or committee to handle Taiwan's bid is actually dangerous because such a group or committee might not function at all or because their members are unwilling to decide on the matter.
At the same time, the international community can't clearly understand Taiwan's wish since the appeal to request the establishment of a working group or committee is obscure. Directly zeroing in on Taiwan's UN representation is a further realization of President Chen Shui-bian's (
The second strategic difference is that Resolution 2758 was directly cited and commented on in the proposal. This resolution has long been overly interpreted and even abused in the UN and its related agencies, thereby causing international organizations and other countries to -- ?based on this resolution -- believe that Taiwan is a part of the PRC. In reality, however, the resolution only conferred UN membership upon the PRC. It did not decide on Taiwan's status and its representation.
Squarely facing up to Resolution 2758, this year's pamphlet avoided touching upon the problem of China's representation and thus inviting unnecessary political interference. In addition, dealing directly with the resolution should also be a strategic consideration since a supplement or amendment to the resolution can be directly submitted to the UN General Assembly. There is no need to, like new member states, get recommendation from the Security Council, in which case China would have a chance to apply its veto power. Clearly this year's strategy is a move toward the new middle way.
The third strategic difference is the addition of many solid examples and soft appeals. For instance, the pamphlet cited lively examples of Taiwan's exclusion from other global organizations because it is not a UN member. These examples, highlighting Taiwan's plight and the unreasonable treatment, speak louder than any theory.
The pamphlet also emphasized Taiwan's democratic development, the close association between Taiwan and peace in East Asia, as well as the relationship between Taiwan's representation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It stressed values of freedom, peace, democracy and human rights. Of course, this echoes what Chen said -- that Taiwan should walk its own path -- the path of freedom, peace, democracy and human rights.
Liao Fu-te is an assistant research fellow of the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica.
Translated by Jackie Lin
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