[quote]The Presidential Office yesterday said the priority for the administration’s UN bid was to participate in the international organization and that the name it would use to apply to join was secondary.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had finalized the strategy the administration would adopt this year before he embarked on an eight-day state visit to Latin America and the Caribbean yesterday afternoon.
Wang, however, refused to reveal what name the country would use in the bid, saying that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) would make the announcement on Friday.[/quote]
Which would be acceptable to the PRC, but wouldn’t be sovereign so it couldn’t join the UN.
Conversely Republic of Taiwan would be sovereign but would not be acceptable to the PRC.
Catch 22!
Actually the reason I think this is interesting is that there’s an outside chance that Ma has negotiated an acceptable name for joining the UN with the PRC, one which they won’t veto. Anyhow, on Friday we find out, and see how/if the PRC reacts to it.
Edit: another possibility is that Taiwan will go for observer status as ‘Chinese Taipei’ in English and Taipei, China in Chinese.
My opinion, is Taiwan would have been the better name, also now that the DPP had started in places like the Post office, it would have been nice to see Ma finish that off, not surprising, but disappointing that he chose not to use this as an olive branch. I think most people here would have wanted that too. But for UN , no doubt in a continuation of his appeasement to China, a more conciliatory silly name will be picked.
But, I doubt to see China going along with anything with regards the UN for quite a while. Like many here in Taiwan who have adopted and wait and see approach to Ma’s tactic of trying to engage China. I think China is just as curious as everyone else to see where this is going too, and perhaps even more cautious, certainly to the point I would say of blocking any move by Taiwan to enter the UN, for now.
Which would be acceptable to the PRC, but wouldn’t be sovereign so it couldn’t join the UN.[/quote]Belarus, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine were not sovereign when they joined the UN.
Which would be acceptable to the PRC, but wouldn’t be sovereign so it couldn’t join the UN.[/quote]
Belarus, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine were not sovereign when they joined the UN.[/quote]
Hmm. Well in that case joining the UN is determined by whether or not a Security Council member uses a veto, rather than any objective criteria.
Which makes the Ma move even more odd. Does he know something about the PRC veto that we don’t?
Actually, I suppose it is. I meant objective as in “is a sovereign state”, but maybe sovereignty is subjective.
We can’t tell it is a retreat yet, maybe Ma has managed to convince Hu Jin Tao that Taiwan should join the UN. Or maybe he will give up and accept observer status which the PRC won’t veto. Or maybe he’ll go through the motions and let them veto it.
If he’s managed the first option, he’s a very cool dude indeed.
Please make no jokes like last time. I have to use whatever they come up with! It will be my breakfast, lunch and dinner. It will go to sleep with me. Please let it be something nice/decent/that I can introduce to polite company.
CONTROVERSY: During their stay, members of the presidential delegation visiting the Dominican Republic were transported in vehicles bearing signs with the words
[quote=“Icon”]The title ‘China, Taiwan’ has nothing to do with political ideology … For people in the Dominican Republic, when they say China, they are referring to our country.”
— official at Taiwan’s embassy in the Dominican Republic[/quote]
I read that at lunchtime and the guy that said that is a freakin’ genius. If you believe in a One China principle but recognize the ROC as that One China, China, Taiwan is technically correct.
Of course China, Taiwan would probably please the PRC too.
