Sunday, September 21, 2008

Taiwan: Slammed Again By the UN

Another year, another rejection by the United Nations, with the bonus of a cold shoulder from the EU. (Thanks for nothing, Brussels. Hey, are you guys still trying to sell arms to China? Just asking.)

This time, though, the UN rejected not a full bid for membership as a state, but Taiwan's lesser bid to join some international agencies. Look at this:
Taiwan this month launched a bid to join the 16 U.N. Specialized Agencies rather than seeking full membership to the global body. The move was seen as an olive branch to Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory.

However, the U.N. General Committee on Wednesday decided not to put Taiwan's proposal on the agenda of the U.N. plenary session.

*Snort of derision*

Well, if the new, more conciliatory Taiwan bid can't even get a hearing, then I fail to see how the "olive branch" is yielding anything useful. Pffffffffft! Frankly, I don't see that Ma's little policy of "let's all play nicely together" is yielding anything other than more ways for Taiwan to be rejected and marginalized. I suppose folks hoped that the new "Ma Taiwan" would find more sympathy on the international scene, but of course that hasn't happened. Apparently the only people who are surprised are the Ma cheerleaders. The cynical Taiwan democrats and their supporters (like your humble blog hostess) can only scowl, growl, and howl as Taiwan dances closer to the abyss.

The official US statement on the matter supports observer status for Taiwan in the WHO. I guess it's better than nothing.

The "report" from that Beijing propaganda mill, the People's Daily, is predictably biased and florid (it uses the term "Taiwan compatriots"!). It also includes this little gem of a quote from China's UN ambassador: "People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the same blood and destiny." (UGH!) DESTINY?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I was wondering with all this talk of blood and destiny. If someone in the C.C.P had got hold of a copy of Mein Kampf and translated it into Chinese. It is disturbing that one of the largest economies in the world, with the biggest population, nuclear arsenal and increasing sphere of influence is using the philosophy and logic of 1930s Germany.

The contradictory nature of the C.C.Ps claim that people of the same "blood" must be united under the same party is that by extension that people of Mongolian blood should be united into a greater Mongolia consisting of both the Republic of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. In addition to this the Uyghurs in Xinjiang should be united into a Turkmen superstate with their ethnic brethren in central Asia and Turkery. The Korean regions of the P.R.C should be handed over to Korea and the Tibetans should be allowed to go their own way.