This year marks the 60th anniversary of the UN. The anniversary comes at a time when the world body is looking closely at its role and working to implement reforms and renew the organization.
The role of each of the UN's divisions is to maintain peace and resolve regional conflicts. They are also responsible for carrying out a wide range of tasks and missions, involving different aspects of human life.
All Taiwanese have longed to gain entry into the UN and enhance the nation's international status. To achieve this, Taiwan should do more than rely on the efforts of civilian and non-governmental organizations to gain admission to the body, as this will only prove to be limited, unproductive and discouraging. The government and the civil groups should work together to conduct an in-depth study and map out a concrete set of strategies to address the issue.
The nation's drive to gain entry into the UN is like a marathon for all Taiwanese. If the eventual outcome is to be positive, we have to figure out a consistent and feasible approach to taking part in this time-consuming and energy-draining race.
Over the past 13 years we have failed to make a breakthrough against China's oppression on the diplomatic front, even though we have continued to ask our diplomatic allies to assist us with our UN bid, and to underline the importance of cross-strait peace.
As such, we need to rethink our diplomatic strategy and should take the initiative and apply for UN membership in the name of a peace-loving nation. Although the application will probably be rejected or vetoed by China at the UN Security Council, it would have significance in the international community. I believe that only by doing this can we highlight that Taiwan and China are two totally different countries.
The nation's drive to participate in the UN should not become an annual routine. Instead, there should be a concerted effort to push the endeavor forward.
For example, when the world celebrates United Nations Day on Oct. 24 every year, the nation could choose to hold an international symposium to discuss UN-related issues and invite international experts and academics. By doing this we could promote and encourage domestic UN-related research through international academic exchanges while at the same time establishing an interactive platform for Taiwan to provide advice on the UN's reform and development, and help the nation communicate with the rest of the world. After the symposium, we could then organize the content of all the discussions, and transform them into useful materials to educate people from all walks of life about the importance of the issue, and eventually help Taiwan become a normal country.
I believe that as long as the people, the government and non-governmental organizations can work together to pursue this issue of national importance, the dream of all Taiwanese will one day come true.
Chen Lung-chu is chairman of the New Century Foundation and the director of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Translated by Lin Ya-ti
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of