Taiwan's 10th attempt at re-entering the UN failed on Wednesday, but officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs vowed the fight would go on.
The UN General Assembly's General Committee's ruling ag-ainst putting a proposal to bring Taiwan into the international body onto the agenda during the assembly's current session, effectively foiled Taipei's attempt.
"The bid to re-enter the UN is a long-term battle, but we have made some gains this year," said ministry spokeswoman Katharine Chang (
Chang noted that the US envoy chose to remain silent on the issue during several hours of committee debate and the UK representative lauded Taiwan's democratic achievements. France and Italy, meanwhile, urged that cross-strait issues be resolved in a peaceful manner.
US silence
It was the fourth consecutive years that the US refused to take the floor during the debate to reiterate its "one China" policy.
Preventing the US from gravitating toward China has been the ministry's top priority.
Unperturbed by the setback, Chang vowed that efforts would continue, adding that the drive has served as an opportunity to raise Taiwan's international profile and allowed the world to see how Taiwan is mistreated.
"After Switzerland's entry to the UN, Taiwan and the Vatican are the only two nations that do not have a UN seat," Chang said. "The UN's rejection of Taiwan's request is inconsistent with the its claimed universality of membership."
Echoing Chang's view, the director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Andrew Hsia (
But Hsia said that Taiwan was prevented from joining the UN because the international body is political in nature, and wonders whether Taiwan would be able to join apolitical organizations such as the WHO or the International Civil Aviation Organization.
During the nearly three hours of debate, 22 countries -- all of them diplomatic allies of Taiwan -- spoke in favor of Taiwan's request to put the item on the agenda, whereas 62 countries opposed the move.
Four of Taiwan's allies -- Haiti, Liberia Malawi and Costa Rica -- remained silent.
Declining support
Last year 24 countries spoke in favor of Taiwan, while 67 voiced their opposition.
China yesterday slammed Taiwan's attempt to join the UN, saying its efforts at "splitting China" would go nowhere.
"The failure indicates that the members of the UN General Assembly support the UN charter and the principle and reality of one China. It also shows that attempts by the Taiwan authorities to split China are based on ulterior motives and are doomed to failure," said China's foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan (孔泉).
On Tuesday, Switzerland became the 190th member of the UN.
The Vatican is now the only UN observer state, while the Palestinians have been accorded special status and are allowed to participate in the General Assembly as an observer.
East Timor, which achieved full independence from Indonesia in May, is expected to be admitted as the 191st member of the UN later this month.
Taiwan has been shut out of the UN since 1971, when Beijing took over the China seat at the expense of Taipei.
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