theseoultimes.com - The proposal, which was delivered to the UN Secretariat on August 14, will be placed as a supplementary item on the provisional agenda of the sixty-third session of the UN General Assembly commencing on September 16, he said.

Taiwan's UN campaign began in 1993. Although both UN-related referendums held in March this year failed to pass, opinion polls have consistently demonstrated that a majority of respondents supports the government's continued promotion of UN participation.

"We have therefore decided to continue the campaign by taking a more moderate and pragmatic means this year," the spokesman said disclosing its UN campaign strategy this year is to safeguard the welfare of Taiwan's 23 million people.

"This year's campaign strategy will therefore be focused on the United Nations specialized agencies including the World Health Organization which serve as the most important multilateral platforms from which global issues are dealt with," he said.

"Our appeal is based on functional and technical considerations, and is therefore moderate, pragmatic and non-confrontational,"he said.

Reasons why the UN specialized agencies should accept Taiwan's participation are that Taiwan has become a major breach in the UN system.

Taiwan has been denied participation in the conferences, mechanisms and conventions of the UN and its specialized agencies since 1971, thereby creating a major breach in the operations of the UN system.

As the most important multilateral platforms for dealing with global issues, the UN specialized agencies should accept Taiwan's participation based on the principle of "universality."

As Taiwan cannot attend conferences, mechanisms and activities of the UN specialized agencies, the welfare of its people has been seriously affected.

For instance, Taiwan has been unable to establish direct access to and communication with the WHO regarding disease prevention and the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

Taiwan's participation in WHO technical meetings and activities is also strictly restricted. As a result, Taiwan can neither acquire the latest medical and health updates nor receive timely assistance when epidemics occur, such as the case with SARS. This is detrimental to the health rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan and an increasing number of foreigners residing in and traveling to Taiwan.

Moreover, with the world's 10th largest shipping capacity, Taiwan has no direct access to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and cannot acquire information first-hand. Furthermore, the validity of Taiwan Seaman's Certificates has been frequently challenged, thereby hampering the development of Taiwan's shipping industry.

"Taiwan is ready, willing and able to contribute to the international community," he stressed.

Being the world's 18th largest economy and the 20th largest outbound investor, Taiwan possesses significant economic strength. Taiwan hopes to share its development experiences with many developing countries.

Over the years, Taiwan has helped many countries by offering technical and humanitarian assistance. If the UN specialized agencies could accept Taiwan's participation in international cooperation, many of their projects would prove to be even more effective.

"Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN specialized agencies would help promote peace and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

The issues handled by the UN specialized agencies tend to be functional and technical in nature. Therefore, by allowing Taiwan's participation, it would be helpful for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to set aside differences and strengthen cooperation on issues of mutual concern, thereby reducing misunderstanding and friction gradually. Thus, the possibility of conflict in the Taiwan Strait will be greatly reduced and the stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region be further strengthened, he explained.

"As our request is reasonable and non-confrontational, we sincerely hope UN member countries would openly support Taiwan's appeal, as Taiwan's participation in the UN specialized agencies would help ensure the fundamental rights of Taiwan's 23 million people and promote the welfare of all mankind," he said.


He also called on UN member countries to show good will toward Taiwan through whatever means they deem appropriate, such as encouraging peaceful dialogue across the Taiwan Strait and supporting Taiwan to contribute more to international cooperation and development and to take a neutral stance and refrain from voicing any opposition to its bid.

For 15 consecutive years China has blocked Taipei's bid to join the United Nations. Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations in 1971 in favor of Beijing's People's Republic.

Taiwan has changed tact in its United Nations membership bid by seeking to access special organizations of the global body instead.

"The motion raised by our allies this year is to urge the UN assembly to propose that its special organizations accept the meaningful participation of Taiwan and its 23 million people in their respective bodies and activities," said Vice Foreign Minister Hsia Li-yan in a recent news conference in Taipei.

Instead of seeking to join the United Nations as it has done every year since 1993, Hsia said it would be more practical for the island to join the UN special organizations, including the World Health Organization.

He said 17 of Taiwan's 23 diplomatic allies submitted the motion to the UN General Assembly on Aug.14 as a provisional agenda for review during the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly commenting on Sept.16 in New York.

Taiwan will accept using any title, including Chinese-Taipei, in order to gain accession to those special bodies. "But of course, we will not consider the 'China's Taipei' title," he added.

The United Nations ousted Taipei to accept Beijing as the sole representative of the China seat in the global body in 1971.

Taiwan and China split at the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing has considered the island an integral part of the mainland that must be brought back to its fold, if necessary by force.

Taiwan decided in 1993 to seek to rejoin the global body, but all efforts have been in vain due to objection of China.

Last August, the pro-independence government of then-president Chen Shui-bian attempted to use the unofficial "Taiwan" title to apply to join the UN, only to provoke Beijing, which pressured the UN Secretariat to return the application letter even before it could make it to the General Assembly.

Taiwan's new government, led by China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou, has decided to use a softer approach in order not to repeat the fate of the previous government, Hsia said.

Thinking that China is the key to Taiwan's participation in global affairs, Ma has tried hard to improve relations with Beijing and resumed talks with the mainland in June. He has called for a diplomatic truce with China.

During the past few years, the months of September and October have become the highlight for the annual "Taiwan into the UN" campaign. Right now, a world body which was set up on the basis of the principle of universality is still excluding a free, democratic and independent nation of 21 million people.

The establishment of the United Nations in 1945 started a new era and long series of declarations of independence in Asia and Africa. Because of a fluke accident of history — the occupation of Taiwan by Chiang Kai-shek's armies fleeing from China — the Taiwanese people were not able to join the international family of nations as an independent nation right away.

Over the past four decades, the Taiwanese have, through their hard work and ingenuity, achieved one of the most prosperous economies of East Asia, and also brought about an almost full-fledged democracy. If we may paraphrase Christopher Reeve's speech at the Democratic Convention in Chicago: "Taiwanese frequently achieve the impossible."

Some international observers argue that Taiwan should not raise the Taiwan issue, saying that Taiwan's entry into the UN is impossible because China has a permanent seat in the Security Council and will block any attempt to let Taiwan join the UN.

Taiwan believes that such a position is indefensible and totally wrong: the world should not let itself be intimidated by a repressive and dictatorial China. It should stand up for the principles on which the UN was founded: freedom, democracy, equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

In particular Western nations, which seem so eager to trade with China, have the moral obligation to make it clear to China that its acceptance as a full partner in the international community hinges on its recognition of Taiwan as a friendly neighbor.
It needs to be emphasized time and again that Taiwan fulfills all basic requirements of a nation-state: it has a defined territory, a population of 21 million (greater than that of three quarters of the UN member nations), and a government which exercises effective control over the territory and the population.

Why is it important that this de-facto independent country becomes a member of the UN?

First, because of the original principles of the UN itself: the world body was founded on the principles of universality and self-determination. If the UN is to survive as an institution that safeguards world peace, it is essential that it adheres to these principles, and apply them to the case of Taiwan.

A second reason for supporting Taiwan's membership in the UN is that this further emphasizes that Taiwan's future is an international issue, to be dealt with by the international community, and not an "internal problem" for the "Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits" to decide on.

The responsibility of the international community stems from the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, which decided that Japan ceded its sovereignty over Taiwan, and that the future status of Taiwan was to be decided in due time "in accord with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations." Certainly in those days, this term could have only one meaning: "independence."

A third reason for supporting Taiwan's entry into the UN is that over the past decade Taiwan has — due to the hard work of the democratic opposition and the overseas Taiwanese community — achieved a democratic political system. This argument is especially relevant for the United States and Europe. It would be indefensible, for the West to deny UN membership to a free and democratic nation, while condoning the presence of repressive, undemocratic nations such as China, Iraq, Iran, etc. This would be a flagrant violation of basic democratic principles.

It needs to be emphasized strongly that this new Taiwan is totally different from the old so-called "Republic of China" which was kicked out of the United Nations in 1971. As we argued before: Resolution 2758 dealt with the question that was representing China in the United Nations. It did not deal with the question of Taiwan's representation, which is a separate issue, to be dealt with as a follow up on the decisions of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951-52.

For China, the new Taiwan is thus not the old rival from the days of the Chinese Civil War on the mainland (a myth perpetuated by the Kuomintang authorities for many decades), but a new neighbor, which wants to live in peace with all its neighbors, including the big brother across the Straits.

Taiwanese people thus appeal to the rest of the world, and particularly the United States and Europe, to live up to the principles of universality and democracy on which the United Nations were founded, accept Taiwan as a full and equal partner, and recognize it under the heading of a new "One Taiwan, One China" policy.

A new "One Taiwan, One China" policy would not alter international recognition of the government in Beijing as the rulers of mainland China, but it should specifically refer to the provisions of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1952, in which the members of the United Nations decided that "...the future status of Taiwan will be decided in accord with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

As part of this new policy, the international community needs to express clearly that:In accordance with Art. 1.2 of the UN Charter — it is the inalienable right of the people of Taiwan to determine their own future, free from outside coercion, the people of Taiwan have a right to membership of their country in the United Nations under the name "Taiwan and it is in China's own interest to accept Taiwan as a friendly neighbor, end hostilities towards the island, and move towards peaceful coexistence, instead of perpetuating an old and anachronistic Civil War. The Taiwanese themselves didn't have anything to do with that Civil War and their future should not be held hostage to it.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou is using his first overseas' trip since his May 20 inauguration to unveil a "diplomatic truce" proposal to China, but analysts cast doubt that Beijing would cooperate. On his trip to Panama, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic which ended on Aug,19, Ma has called for both Beijing and Taipei to stop the competition for diplomatic allies and co-exist in peace.

"The most important thing is to keep the status quo in cross-strait ties and in diplomatic ties," Ma said during a transit stop in Los Angeles. "China already has 171 diplomatic allies while Taiwan has only 23. We should stop trying to woo over each other's allies because this vicious circle hurts both sides' image."

Ma apparently was asking China to allow Taiwan to keep its 23 allies - small countries that receive generous aid from Taipei in exchange for recognition - and allow the island to maintain its claim as a sovereign state.

"China will not sign a formal pact on diplomatic truce, but it might reach a tacit agreement and allow Taiwan to keep the 23 allies. These mostly small nations are unimportant to China and by not launching ties with them, China can save lots of money," Chen Yi-hsin from Tamkang University said.

But Taiwan's allies would be in an awkward spot if such a deal deprives them of the opportunity to use diplomatic recognition to bargain for aid from Taipei or Beijing, he said.

Ma flew to Latin America to attend the inaugurations of Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo and Dominican President Leonel Fernandez Reyna for his third term.

Besides the two presidents, Ma also briefed the leaders of Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti and Belize on his diplomatic initiative with mainland China.

Ma encouraged those countries to launch trade ties with China, while assuring them that Taiwan continues to treasure its own relations with them, but will replace cash aid with technical aid.

Dominican Republic President Fernandez said he understood the changes in Taipei-Beijing ties because the Cold War days are gone.

Paraguayan President Lugo called a Chinese truce "wise," but reminded Ma that Paraguay is "the most important ally of Taiwan" in South America, which was regarded as a warning to Taipei to not forget its aid pledge to the country.

Paraguay is the only country in South America which recognizes Taiwan, the seat of the exiled Republic of China government since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Since the United Nations expelled Taipei to accept Beijing as the legitimate representative of China in 1971, the number of countries recognizing Taiwan has dwindled from about 60 to 23.

Those include the world's smallest country, Nauru - a Pacific island with a territory of 21 square kilometers and a population of about 10,000.

Some of those allies have switched back and forth between Taipei and Beijing several times, depending on who gave more aid.

Since 2001, nine of Taiwan's allies have bolted to recognize China: Macedonia Liberia, Dominica, Grenada, Senegal, Chad, Costa Rica and Malawi. Nauru cut ties with Taiwan in 2002 but resumed formal relations in 2005.

Professor Chen said Taiwan's diplomatic initiative has come as a shock to Taipei's allies.

"Now that Taiwan stops throwing money, these allies are angry inside but cannot show it," said the academic who gave the example of newly-elected Paraguayan President Lugo, who needs foreign aid to wipe out poverty just when Taiwan says it has adjusted its foreign policy and no longer spends money on its allies.

China has not made a formal response to Ma's "diplomatic truce" proposal, but China's Taiwan experts welcomed it.

In an interview with Taiwan newspaper the China Times, Xu Bodong, former director of the Taiwan Research Institute of the Beijing Union University, said Beijing and Taipei can start moving towards peace.

"China can allow Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly next year," said Xu. "The two sides can announce ending hostility within two years and sign peace pact six or seven years later."

And as there is no longer a need for Taiwan and China to waste money on winning over each other's allies, Taiwan can send representatives to Beijing to discuss a "diplomatic truce," he said.


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