A civic group promoting the nation’s bid to rejoin the UN urged President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) government to apply for UN membership under the name of “Taiwan” next month to reinforce the nation’s status as a sovereign state.
Taiwan UN Alliance president Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) said that although obtaining the UN General Assembly’s acceptance for an application under the name “Taiwan” would be difficult, applying for membership under this name is a symbolic gesture that the government must make.
The alliance is to form a group to promote “Taiwan for the UN” and stage demonstrations in front of the UN headquarters in New York from Sept. 9 to Sept. 19, Michael Tsai said, adding that the move aims to show the world Taiwan’s resolve to join the UN.
The government sending Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) to the World Health Assembly to represent the nation under the name “Chinese Taipei” in May was disappointing, Michael Tsai said, adding that some of Tsai Ing-wen’s supporters said they were wrong to vote for her.
The government should look into ways to attend the UN General Assembly on Sept. 13, Michael Tsai said, adding that “the application for UN membership next month is the best time for Tsai Ing-wen to show the world Taiwan’s resolve to join the UN.”
Alliance secretary-general William Luo (羅榮光) said the government should seek UN membership under the name “Taiwan,” as the Republic of China’s (ROC) seat is occupied by China.
The ROC, one of the founding members of the UN, withdrew from the UN in 1971 when a UN resolution ruled that the People’s Republic of China was the only legitimate representative of China to the international body.
“China’s vociferous claims that Taiwan is a part of China must be fought, lest the international community mistakenly believe Taiwan is silently agreeing to such claims,” Luo said, adding that Taiwanese non-governmental organizations are pushing for the government to apply for UN membership.
Presidential Office spokesperson Alex Huang (黃重諺) said that issues over improving Taiwan’s participation at international bodies, including UN organizations, are being discussed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government would continue to solicit international support under the pre-requisite of maintaining the nation’s sovereignty, honor and national interests.
Additional reporting by Su Fang-ho
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The military yesterday said it has located the flight data recorder, or black box, of an F-16V jet that disappeared off eastern Taiwan earlier this month, and it would soon deploy a salvage team to try to retrieve it. Air Force Command Headquarters said that while it had pinned down the location of the black box, it was still searching for the aircraft’s sole pilot, air force Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅). Without providing details, the air force said it had located the black box days after detecting some intermittent signals and would now engage a team of professionals to retrieve it. The air
RSS