By Wu Miaofa
The United Nations General Assembly opened its 62nd session on Tuesday.
At the same time, the Taiwan authorities' bid for "UN membership," which serves the purposes of Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, is moving ahead at an accelerated pace.
While Chen's three letters to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, pressing for UN membership, have been rejected, the Taiwan authorities, using money to pave the way, have made a few small countries submit a draft resolution, asking that the General Committee of the UN General Assembly put the matter of "Taiwan's UN membership" on the formal agenda of the 62nd session.
This is an attempt to shake the legitimate foundation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 which, adopted by the 26th session of the UN General Assembly in 1971, restored the legal right of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations. The resolution stipulated clearly that the government of the PRC is the sole legitimate representative of China in the UN and expelled the Chiang Kai-shek clique from the United Nations and all its organizations.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed at a press conference that Taiwan's bid to apply for UN membership is legally impossible.
The Taiwan leadership's desperate moves have aroused concern in the United States, the European Union, Asia, Oceania, Latin America and Africa. They are worried that Chen's acts could trigger tensions across the Taiwan Straits, in Asia-Pacific, and, possibly, the world at large.
Consequently, how the General Assembly deals with the matter will be the focus of attention in and outside the UN.
It is expected that the vast majority of the General Committee of UN General Assembly members will exclude the "Taiwan UN membership" draft resolution from the formal agenda. It is also expected that a number of countries will voice their firm support for UN Resolution 2758 and lash out at Taiwan authorities' secessionist moves, during the three-week general debate, which begins on September 25.
Chen and his followers will find themselves in isolation.
As a result of the one-China principle firmly established internationally under UN Resolution 2758, more than 30 countries established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China in the decade between the early 1970s and early 1980s.
All these countries, in addition to those that already had formal relations with China, acknowledged that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and that Taiwan is an integral part of the country.
When the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations with China respectively in the late and early 1970s, they made exactly the same statement.
The principle that Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territories has long been affirmed by a number of important international agreements such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration.
So far, the number of countries that have diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China stands at 169, all acknowledging the one-China principle.
However, turning a blind eye to this reality, Taiwan leader Chen and his followers are making desperate efforts to get Taiwan, a province of China, into the United Nations as a member of this international organization composed of sovereign states.
This is naked secessionist action, which also poses a grave challenge to international law and the international community as well.
Gaining UN membership for Taiwan is an indispensable part of Chen's "Taiwan independence" undertaking which he has been masterminding since he became Taiwan's leader in 2000.
With regard to "Taiwan's UN membership", Chen has been playing a number of cards.
First, he plays the card of "Taiwan's international living space", claiming that Taiwan's international space is much compressed, in the hope of winning compassion from those who are unfamiliar with the whole picture of the Taiwan question.
His next card is that Taiwan is unable to enjoy international democracy. Claiming that Taiwan is already a "democracy", Chen and his followers complain that Taiwan is deprived of "democratic rights" and urge the international community to extend to the island a helping hand.
He also has in his hand a third card - replacing one concept with a different one stealthily. The universal nature of the United Nations, for example, should not leave any country outside its ambit. So, Taiwan should not be left in the wilderness, according to his logic.
But, it should be noted, Taiwan is not a sovereign state and it joining the United Nations, an organization composed of countries of independent sovereignty, is out of the question.
In Chen's logic, the borders between "Taiwan" and "the sovereign state" are completely blurred.
Also he has the money card. Dangling a cash bag before some small countries in Central America, Africa and in other regions, Chen has made them beat the drum for Taiwan's bid for UN membership.
The question arises: Why does the United States adopt a tough stand against Taiwan's "UN membership referendum?"
China-US relations have taken many twists and turns, but today it enjoys smooth development, which should be cherished by both sides.
The Taiwan question holds an extremely sensitive position in China-US relations.
The bottom line of the US is that the status quo across the Taiwan Straits must not be altered, while Washington develops ties with the Chinese mainland and also maintains relations with Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act.
China, on its part, holds that Taiwan is an integral part of its territories and it is determined to achieve the reunification of the motherland by using peaceful means.
But the bottom line is: Never under any circumstances, can Taiwan secede from the motherland. Hence the National People's Congress' passage of the Anti-Secession Law.
While the US wants to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Straits, China intends to maintain peace across the Straits.
However, this is being continually challenged by Chen who has overstepped the boundary.
Chen is getting increasingly louder in his "Taiwan independence" bid and increasingly defiant in "Taiwan independence" actions.
In view of this, President Hu Jintao told US President George W. Bush that the situation across the Taiwan Straits will be the most risky between now and next year, at their meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation earlier this month in Sydney. President Hu also suggested that still stronger warnings should be issued to the Taiwan authorities.
Presented with this grave situation, the US has to show its position is clear-cut in order that its diplomatic strategy is not disrupted and also for the sake of its national security interests.
Three incumbent senior State Department officials, including John Negroponte and Thomas Christensen, and two former ones, including Colin Powell, have stepped into the open and spoken on the issue.
Their messages boil down to: Chen Shui-bian's "UN membership referendum" is tantamount to a step toward "Taiwan independence" and the United States is opposed to it.
Neither Taiwan nor "the Republic of China" is a sovereign state and it is, therefore, not qualified for membership of the United Nations which is composed of countries of independent sovereignty.
Chen's acts have done harm to US national security interests and also breached the bottom line of the Chinese mainland.
Fighting against "Taiwan independence" is a herculean task. We should, therefore, keep a close watch on the situation unfolding and handle any emergency sober-mindedly. Also, we should get prepared for whatever degree of tension arises across the Taiwan Straits.
At the same time, we should reinforce communications with the US so that the situation does not get out of control, which is in the strategic interests of both countries.
The author is a researcher with China Institute of International Studies
(China Daily September 20, 2007)
