Sunday, August 13, 2006

TAIWAN BIDS FOR U.N. SEAT AGAIN

Taipei, Aug. 11 (CNA) Taiwan will again bid for a seat in the United Nations, with two proposals presented by its diplomatic allies and the bid will be a continuous effort even if it fails once again, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Michel Lu said in a press conference Friday.

The government does not rule out the possibility of applying for U.N. membership under the name of Taiwan, although the issue is still under discussion, said John Chen, director-general of MOFA's Department of International Organizations.

Taiwan's allies submitted two proposals -- the "participation proposal" and the "peace proposal" -- to the U.N. Secretariat in New York early Friday, Lu said, requesting that the General Committee put the proposals on the assembly agenda.

The participation proposal was very similar to those put forward in the past -- urging the U.N. General Assembly to ensure the representation of the 23 million people of Taiwan in the world body.

There is a modification in the peace proposal, Lu said. The proposal requests the U.N. to play a proactive role in maintaining peace in the East Asia region instead of last year's proposal, which mentioned only the Taiwan Strait.

With China's military budget showing double-digit growth for the 18th consecutive year and the latest North Korean missile test, the regional security in East Asia -- not just the Taiwan Strait -- is becoming a notable issue in global security, Lu said.

"The proposal calls for the U.N. to urge East Asian countries to settle arguments peacefully and to take necessary measures to prevent the regional tension from rising," Chen said.

Since 1993, Taiwan has failed 14 times in its bids to enter the U.N.

When the U.N. was founded in 1945, the Republic of China was one of its founding members. However, it has been shut out of the body since 1971, when U.N. Resolution No. 2758 gave the "China" seat to the People's Republic of China at the ROC's expense.