Taiwan Seeks U.N. Membership, Row with Beijing Simmers On
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Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian |
TAIPEI,
August 11 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Taiwan has filed a fresh
demand for a seat at the United Nations, an official said Sunday,
August 11, in a move likely to further antagonize severely frayed
relations with Beijing.
Taipei
made the new proposal through its allies, demanding representation
under the name of “Republic of China (Taiwan)”, a foreign ministry
official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity.
“The
proposal underscores equal sovereignty with China,” the official
said.
The
move comes a week after President Chen Shui-bian provoked a venomous
attack from Beijing by calling for a referendum on the island’s
future.
China
considers Taiwan part of its territory awaiting reunification and has
threatened military intervention if the island formally declares
independence.
In
its bid to secure a U.N. seat, Taiwan insisted its 23 million people
were not represented in the global body and called for a resumption of
dialogues and peaceful settlement of the lingering disputes with
China.
Observers
said the new bid will rattle the nerves of Beijing as the row over
Chen’s referendum call rumbles on.
They
said it remained to be seen if a key reaction from Washington would be
forthcoming.
U.S.
officials previously backed Beijing’s “one China policy” in 1999
when they were caught off guard by a controversial statehood claim by
then Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui.
Beijing
has blocked nine previous attempts by Taiwan to join the U.N. since
1993.
Ties
between Taipei and Beijing plummeted to a new low this week after Chen
made his referendum demands in a video conference speech to Taiwanese
independence activists meeting in Tokyo.
Chen
asserted Taiwan’s statehood and independent sovereignty, saying,
“each side (of the Taiwan Strait) is a country”.
Later
he tried to mollify Beijing saying the two sides have “equal
sovereignty” and Taipei has no intention of altering the status quo
of the Taiwan Strait.
The
United Nations awarded a seat to Beijing and banned Taiwan’s
participation in a 1971 resolution.
Political
observers do not expect the latest bid to be successful.
Beijing
had condemned the island’s campaign for U.N. membership since 1993
as a conspiracy to split the island from the “motherland”.
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