China Daily Global Edition (USA)

DPP’s UN pursuit is bound to fail

- Zhu Songling The author is a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Beijing Union University. The views don’t necessaril­y represent those of China Daily.

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversar­y of the People’s Republic of China restoring its rightful seat at the United Nations. China is both a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. And since its founding in 1949, the People’s Republic, has been the sole legitimate representa­tive of China and thus a member of the UN and all its affiliated organizati­ons.

Yet the United States objected to New China occupying its rightful seat at the UN for 22 years, saying the restoratio­n of its lawful seat at the world body should be approved by at least twothirds of the UN member states, because it had a far greater say in the UN during those years.

Until July 15, 1971, 18 countries including Albania and Algeria kept writing to U Thant, then UN secretary-general to allow China to restore its rightful seat in the world body. They requested that China’s restoring its rightful seat be taken up as an urgent issue and it was listed on the agenda of the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly. Three months later, on Oct 25, Beijing restored its rightful place at the UN.

But since 1993, the Taiwan authoritie­s have been pushing for the island’s representa­tion at the UN, especially during the annual General Assembly sessions. Needless to say, their moves have been vetoed by the General Committee of the UN General Assembly.

The ruling Democratic Progressiv­e Party in Taiwan made a similar attempt at the General Assembly session this year but in a more provocativ­e way. The pro-independen­ce DPP published articles worldwide, held seminars at the UN Headquarte­rs in New York City, and egged civil society groups to file petitions to advance its pro-independen­ce agenda. And by promising its political partners big gains, it prompted them to raise the demand for Taiwan’s representa­tion in the UN.

Taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DPP has been boasting of containing the novel coronaviru­s while claiming that the risk of infections around the world would increase if the island was kept out of the UN. “Taiwan can help” contain the spread of the virus worldwide, the DPP has claimed.

Not surprising­ly, all the DPP’s attempts have met with failure. Taiwan, as an integral part of China, is ineligible to be a member of the UN. Behind the DPP’s pursuit of UN membership is the goal of achieving “Taiwan independen­ce”, which is impossible because Taiwan and the Chinese mainland are part of one China.

Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly on Oct 25, 1971, which expelled the Taiwan representa­tive from the global organizati­on, was clear in letter and spirit. So any proposal of including Taiwan in the UN would be against the UN Charter, and will be rejected by the overwhelmi­ng majority of the UN member states.

Since the Taiwan authoritie­s have not succeeded in their dirty designs, and never will, why is the DPP hellbent on investing resources in this impossibil­ity?

The DPP still believes in the illusion of “Taiwan independen­ce”. The tense Sino-US relations have prompted Washington to play the “Taiwan card” more frequently against Beijing. And at the instigatio­n of the White House, the pro-independen­ce DPP has become more reckless in opposing the 1992 Consensus that there is only one China and the People’s Republic of China is its sole legal representa­tive.

The fact is, both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China, and form the foundation for the rejuvenati­on of the Chinese nation, and the Chinese people have resolved and have the capability to achieve this goal. Since most of the countries around the world recognize the one-China principle, the DPP’s attempt to join the UN as an independen­t entity is bound to fail.

This year also marks the 100th anniversar­y of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 110th anniversar­y of the 1911 Revolution. For most of the past 5,000 years, the Chinese nation has been united, and the pursuit of reunificat­ion shows why the Chinese civilizati­on is the only continuous civilizati­on in the world, and reunificat­ion and national rejuvenati­on are the trend of the times.

The Taiwan question will be solved with national rejuvenati­on. So separatist­s trying to split the country, by pursuing UN’s membership, are going against the trend of history and the cause of national rejuvenati­on. The Chinese nation is on the way to realizing reunificat­ion and rejuvenati­on, and counter-moves, particular­ly those in collusion with foreign forces, are doomed to failure.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States