Taipei - Taiwan, defying intimidation from China and
warnings from other countries, on Wednesday announced it would hold
the referendum on joining the United Nations on March 22.
The Central Election Commission on Wednesday mailed the notices
for the presidential election and the UN referendum - both held on
March 22 - to the home of eligible voters.
The referendum asks: In 1971, the People's Republic of China (PRC)
replaced the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) in the UN, making Taiwan
an international orphan. To raise Taiwan's international status, do
you agree that the government should apply to join the UN under the
name of Taiwan?
The notices carry an appendix, listing six reasons for joining the
UN: such as 70 per cent of Taiwanese back joining UN, Taiwan as a
sovereign country is entitled to join UN, and Taiwan can provide more
aid to foreign countries if it joins the UN.
However, there will be two UN referendums on March 22 as the
opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) wants Taiwan
to restore ROC's seat in the UN.
The Taiwan government has blasted the KMT's proposal as futile
because the UN recognizes China as the sole legitimate representative
of China and will not expel China to accept Taiwan.
So although the two UN referenda look like a drama to many
Taiwanese, China views them as a move towards Taiwan's seeking formal
independence from the Chinese mainland.
China has repeatedly threatened to take drastic action if the UN
referendum goes ahead and has coerced dozens of countries into
warning Taiwan that the UN referendum will disturb regional peace and
stability.
President Chen Shui-bian has responded to China's warning by
saying that it is the Taiwan's people's right to hold the UN
referendum and China, which has never ruled Taiwan since 1949 -
should mind its own business.
China and Taiwan split in 1949 when the ROC government lost the
Chinese Civil War and fled to Taiwan to set up its government-in-
exile.
Since Taiwan lost its UN seat to China in 1971, Taiwan's
diplomatic allies have dwindled to only 23 mostly-small nations.
More than 170 countries recognize China but many of them maintain
trade ties with Taipei.
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