Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) Taiwan reiterated Thursday that it is aiming to achieve "meaningful participation" in international organizations and it appealed for continued global support for its bid to join two such organizations, two weeks ahead of the United Nations' annual General Assembly.
Deputy Foreign Minister Shen Ssu-tsun said at a news conference that the Taiwan government's strategy remains steady as it seeks to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Taiwan has secured the support of various countries and organizations since last year, when the government listed entry to the UNFCCC and ICAO among its goals, he said.
International support for Taiwan's efforts in this direction has come from the European Parliament, the Australian Parliament, the United States Senate and 19 representatives of the U.S. Congress, he said.
Taiwan will also ask its diplomatic allies to state its case in the 65th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which is scheduled to open Sept. 14 in New York City and at the 37th ICAO Assembly which will be held in Montreal, Canada from Sept. 28-Oct. 8, Shen said.
The allies will also make a similar effort at the U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will be held from Sept. 20-22, and the at ICAO Assembly, he said. An appeal will be made for Taiwan to be included in these bodies as part of the global cooperative effort on various issues, he added.
With respect to the 16th UNFCCC Conference of Parties to be held in Cancun, Mexico from Nov. 29-Dec. 10, Shen said, the ministry is still studying a proposal for that bid and will make an announcement at a later date.
Shen did not answer a question on whether Taiwan has a timetable for its entry to the UNFCCC and whether China has been putting up any roadblocks.
Taiwan has not been represented in the U.N. since 1971, when the Republic of China's seat was given to the People's Republic of China. Taiwan has tried unsuccessfully to have the world body consider the issue of its representation since 1993, but its efforts have been blocked by Beijing, which claims that Taiwan is part of China.
During the UNFCCC Conference in the Danish capital of Copenhagen last December, a China official voiced opposition to Taiwan's inclusion in the organization, citing Beijing's "one China principle."
He said that the initiatives by some nations in favor of Taiwan's bid to join the UNFCCC as an observer had "hurt the feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people."
However, since then, tensions across the Taiwan Strait have eased, particularly after the two sides signed a historic trade agreement in June -- a move that was welcomed by the international community.
Last month, Singapore and Taiwan jointly announced that they were studying the feasibility of a free trade agreement, which signaled a willingness on China's part to allow Taiwan more international space.
Shen said that in the wake of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement, he thinks China has a better understanding of Taiwan's position. Nonetheless, Taiwan will seek to win as much international support as possible before heading into the next phase, he said.
The Taiwan government said last September that the UNFCCC and the ICAO are the first two international organizations it will seek to join and that it has a three-phase plan toward that goal.
Shen did not elaborate on Taiwan's timetable or details of its phased strategy, saying only that it will be a continuing effort and that the foreign ministry will implement its plans based on the situation as it develops. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc