The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday questioned efforts by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to seek Taiwan’s participation in the UN, after the 76th UN General Assembly opened in New York on Tuesday.
The KMT said in a statement that the nation’s multilateral diplomacy had “clearly regressed” over the past few years, adding that seven allies had cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan since Tsai took office in 2016.
“It is an indisputable fact that the number of times our diplomatic allies have spoken up for us at the UN General Assembly General Debate has on the whole declined,” the statement said.
Photo: CNA
Tsai in January said that the nation would continue to strive to participate in the UN, and its affiliated meetings and events, “but the truth is that since she took office in May 2016, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not submitted a proposal to the UN General Assembly through allies,” the statement said, dismissing Tsai’s comments in January as “empty words.”
During the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Taiwan’s efforts to take part in the UN were focused on meaningful participation in the organization’s specialized agencies, the statement said.
Under the Democratic Progressive Party, the nation has only participated at the World Health Assembly as an observer in May 2016 under the name “Chinese Taipei,” it said.
Having diplomatic allies speak up for or make proposals on behalf of Taiwan at the UN to gain more international space “is basic diplomatic work,” it added.
The KMT also accused the Tsai administration of attempting to hide the difficult diplomatic predicament faced by Taiwan through “propaganda” in traditional and social media.
“The past 30 years have proven that when cross-strait relations are not good, Taiwan’s foreign relations are not good,” the statement said.
While the KMT opposes Beijing’s efforts to squeeze Taiwan’s international space, “at the same time, the KMT asks that President Tsai Ing-wen clearly outline specific and feasible strategies to promote peaceful and stable cross-strait relations, and for Taiwan’s international participation,” the statement said.
In related news, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York on Tuesday launched a series of publicity campaigns that highlight Taiwan’s contributions to the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its desire to participate in the UN, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
They include a campaign on the Web site GiveTaiwanAVoice.com that is themed around sky lanterns and aims to represent how “hope soars when we all listen,” a response to this year’s UN General Assembly theme of “building resilience through hope.”
The TECO yesterday also played a publicity video on a giant video screen in New York City’s Times Square featuring sky lanterns rising into the sky.
“Taiwan’s progress and experience deserve to be heard in the #UN,” the TECO wrote on Facebook.
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