Just like looking for “Nessie”

Martin Banks

Belgium (Brussel Morning Newspaper), The continued lack of involvement by Taiwan in the United Nations and other international organizations has been likened to the search for the famous Loch Ness Monster.   The Taipei Representative Office in Brussels says the search for “Nessie” in the Scottish loch is akin to looking for Taiwan’s involvement in organizations like the UN.  

The Taiwan embassy has collaborated with the Belgian cartoonist, Lectrr, to create a cartoon comparing finding the Loch Ness Monster to what it says is “the impossible task” of looking for Taiwan in “UN Resolution No. 2758.”   “The idea is to make people understand more clearly our position,” said a spokesman.   The resolution is seen as being crucial as it does not mention Taiwan which China continues to claim as a breakaway province. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force against Taiwan.  

The Taiwan spokesman said, “China should not deliberately misinterpret this UN resolution to deny Taiwan’s participation in United Nations-related organizations and activities.   “We believe this cartoon is of great value in promoting a deeper understanding of the multifaceted issues surrounding Taiwan’s international recognition and its implications.”

The hope is, says the spokesman, to “make people understand more clearly that United Nations Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan.”

The UN resolution, he added, only deals with the representation of China in the United Nations, and does not mention Taiwan “even once.”

“Not only does it not authorize the People’s Republic of China to represent Taiwan in the United Nations system, but it also does not recognize Taiwan as a part of the People’s Republic of China.”

“The Resolution has nothing to do with Taiwan at all, nor does it ever discuss issues such as Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent state and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China.

“Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the 23.5 million people of Taiwan in the international arena,” he said.

“Participation in international organisations, such as the WHO, is the legitimate right of all the people of Taiwan, and is going to bring positive contributions to the world.”

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Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
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Martin Banks is an experienced British-born journalist who has been covering the EU beat (and much else besides) in Brussels since 2001. Previously, he had worked for many years in regional journalism in the UK and freelanced for national titles. He has a keen interest in foreign affairs and has closely followed the workings of the European Parliament and MEPs in particular for some years.