A pro-Taiwanese independence civic group embarked yesterday on a weeklong journey to New York City to advocate the country’s right to bid for UN membership under the name Taiwan.
At a press conference held in Taipei yesterday before their departure, the group said “the annual trip to New York marks a continued effort by the people of Taiwan since 1979 to express their wish to be recognized by the UN.”
Taiwan has not been represented since 1971, when the Republic of China withdrew from the UN after a resolution ruled that the People’s Republic of China was the only legitimate representative of China to the international body. Since 1993, Taiwan’s annual bid to have the world body consider its full membership in the organization has failed because of opposition from Beijing.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
In 2008, the administration under President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) announced that it would give up making a formal bid through its diplomatic allies.
Earlier last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) outlined the government’s approach to participation in UN specialized agencies instead of applying for full UN membership. He said the strategy was in line with Ma’s policies of flexible diplomacy.
The Taiwan United Nations Alliance yesterday criticized the Ma administration’s current UN policy as jeopardizing Taiwan’s sovereignty and its people, leaving the nation “an international orphan.”
The group is scheduled to stage a rally in New York, where the 65th UN General Assembly began on Tuesday, in which it will deliver speeches and distribute fliers in support of full UN membership for Taiwan.
The group is scheduled to return to Taiwan Sept. 25
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
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