Vancouver Sun editorial speaks for the confused Wanderlanders

Here is an excerpt of the editorial, which is included at the end in its entirety:

Taiwan is a self-ruling entity, collecting taxes from and delivering services to its citizens. It has trade ties internationally and does more than its share at times of international crisis. Taiwan sent aid to China at the time of the Sichuan earthquake.

But China, with a veto on the UN Security Council, refuses to recognize Taiwan's independence and demands other countries do the same -- which they do, out of fear of losing trade with China.

So the world pretends Taiwan is not a nation, leaving it in a state of international limbo.

Meanwhile, Taiwan continues screaming the truth, describing itself a thriving, functioning democracy with its own elected government and standing military. It conducts is own foreign relations. Historically the nation has not -- even for so much as a single day -- been ruled by the People's Republic of China.

"Taiwan is an independent and sovereign state. No other individual or government can legitimately claim to represent the Taiwanese people any more than the U.S. can claim to represent the people of France."

--

Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun

Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Taiwan has signalled a stunning shift in its long-standing bid to assert its sovereignty and independence from China.

In an attempt to appease Beijing, the small island country -- for the first time in 15 years -- has dropped its annual request to the United Nations for full membership.

Taiwan, controversially, is now asking only for participation in 19 UN-related agencies, bodies like the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The request coincides with the reconvening of the UN's General Assembly on Sept. 16.

The shift is a reflection of a strategy being deployed by Taiwan's new government. Last May the nationalist Democratic Progressive party government was replaced by the Chinese Nationalist party or KMT, which campaigned on improved Taiwanese relations with China.

Since then, the two countries have negotiated direct flights between their capitals. In the past, the connection was limited to transit through Hong Kong.

But tensions across the Taiwan Strait remain high and the KMT decision regarding UN membership is being met domestically with significant resistence.

"All in all, the latest UN approach misses the key point," huffed an Aug. 16 Taipei Times editorial, "which is working to have the people of Taiwan treated with respect and having their voice represented at the UN."

A Democratic Progressive party spokesman, Pan Meng-an, asserted that the new UN strategy has "broken the hearts of the Taiwanese people."

Beijing has reacted to the policy shift, with the Chinese ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya, turning thumbs down: "The mainland and the Taiwan region are not yet reunited but the fact that the two sides belong to one and the same China has never changed."

Some background: Taiwan lost its United Nations seat in 1971 when the world body turned the China seat over to the People's Republic of China.

Taiwan marked nationhood in 1949 when, after a civil war on the mainland, KMT politicians set up their own headquarters in nearby Taipei, ruling by martial law and leaving China to be ruled by the Communists.

Taiwan made the transition to democracy in the late '90s and now stands as a freedom-loving, technologically advanced nation that is the world's 18th largest economy.

For its part, China insists Taiwan is a breakaway province. Beijing uses its trading clout to block Taiwan's bids for international membership.

A press release this week issued by Taiwan's diplomatic office in Vancouver, asserted: "It is the fundamental right of the Taiwanese people, including the 80,000 Taiwanese-Canadians residing in Greater Vancouver -- many of whom still maintain close ties with their families in Taiwan -- to be represented in the world's largest and most important international organization."

Taiwan is a self-ruling entity, collecting taxes from and delivering services to its citizens. It has trade ties internationally and does more than its share at times of international crisis. Taiwan sent aid to China at the time of the Sichuan earthquake.

But China, with a veto on the UN Security Council, refuses to recognize Taiwan's independence and demands other countries do the same -- which they do, out of fear of losing trade with China.

So the world pretends Taiwan is not a nation, leaving it in a state of international limbo.

Meanwhile, Taiwan continues screaming the truth, describing itself in its press release as "a thriving, functioning democracy with its own elected government and standing military. It conducts is own foreign relations. Historically the nation has not -- even for so much as a single day -- been ruled by the People's Republic of China.

"Taiwan is an independent and sovereign state. No other individual or government can legitimately claim to represent the Taiwanese people any more than the U.S. can claim to represent the people of France."

The Harper government has been unwilling to speak in support of Taiwan, fearful of a backlash from Canadians doing business in China.

But that should not prevent individual MPs who feel strongly about such things as freedom and reality from stepping forward to back Taiwan's legitimate quest to join the world's international bodies.

byaffe@vancouversun.com