I tried to make some research on Taiwan and this is what I pulled out. I guess because it is counted as part of China, it is still called the Repubice of China. This is in correction to my previous fwd./posting on the President's speech. Foreign Ministry’s press release on the ROC’s 8th bid to participate in the United Nations Published: August 4, 2000 Source: Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Representatives of Republic of Senegal, Grenada, Republic of the Gambia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nicaragua, Kingdom of Swaziland, Solomon Islands, Republic of Nauru, Burkina Faso, Republic of Malawi, and Republic of Honduras to the United Nations jointly submitted a proposal to the UN Secretary General on August 3 EST, requesting the UN to set up a working group to examine the exceptional international situation pertaining to the Republic of China on Taiwan, and to ensure the right of its 23 million people to participate in the United Nations and its related agencies. The aforementioned Representatives submitted a joint letter to the UN Secretary General requesting the inclusion of a proposal as a supplementary item in the agenda of the 55th plenary session of the General Assembly in September. The proposal bears the title “Need to examine the exceptional international situation pertaining to the Republic of China on Taiwan, to ensure that the fundamental right of its twenty-three million people to participate in the work and activities of the United Nations is fully respected”. An explanatory memorandum with the proper justification for the proposal is attached to the joint letter. The memorandum begins with a statement on the fact that Tuvalu’s admission to the United Nations later this year will leave the Republic of China the only country in the world that remains excluded from the United Nations. It further indicates that the ROC and the PRC have coexisted for more than 50 years on their respective sides of the Taiwan Strait, with neither subject to the other’s rule. However, the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) failed to address this reality. The ROC has been excluded from all UN activities, and even been blocked in participating in non-governmental international activities. The proposal also mentions the presidential election in May 2000 and the first peaceful transfer of political power in ROC history. The ROC has been playing an active role in international cooperation programs and humanitarian relief operations, and is willing to integrate itself into the international human rights system spearheaded by the UN. Furthermore, the ROC has continuously expressed its good faith to the PRC so as to improve cross-strait relations. The ROC government believes that its participation in the UN would enable the both sides to work and cooperate in the UN and its related agencies, and thus gradually build mutual trust and accelerate the peace process in Taiwan Strait. At the same time, the UN could live up to its principle of universality and achieve its goal of preventive diplomacy by accepting ROC’s participation. The ROC government has repeatedly stressed that its bid for UN representation is not intended to challenge the PRC’s membership in the UN. However, the PRC must acknowledge that Taiwan is a full-fledged democratic society today. Threats and intimidation can only do harm to the feelings of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Only when the PRC acknowledges the existence of the ROC on Taiwan can cross-strait relations develop in a positive direction and in a mutually beneficial way. The ROC government is convinced that with the ROC and the PRC working together for global peace, security and prosperity within the UN, the family of all nations, can build up their mutual trust and further create a bright, reciprocal and win-win vision for both sides. The ROC government sincerely appreciates the aforesaid friendly countries’ action in support of its effort to seek UN participation, which is in accordance with the spirit of the UN Charter. Meanwhile, the ROC urges other UN member states to seriously consider the legitimacy case of the ROC in claiming the fundamental right of its 23 million people to participate in the UN. The ROC calls on UN member states to support the setting up of a working group under the UN General Assembly to address this issue. Only by doing so can the voice of the 23 million people of the ROC be heard, and its potential peace, humanitarian assistance and economic cooperation be fully realized. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface ----------------------------------------------------------------------------