By Martin Banks - 23rd July 2007
A cross-party group of MEPs have appealed to the EU to support Taiwan in its bid to join the United Nations.
Teipei’s application to join the organisation is due to be considered by the UN’s general assembly in New York on 18 September.
But, according to a Brussels-based Taiwanese source, Teipei is about to receive a stern EU injunction to act “sensibly and responsibly” by scrapping a planned referendum asking voters whether they would like the island to seek UN membership under its historic name, the “Republic of China”, or just “Taiwan”.
Portugal, current holder of the EU presidency, has drafted a private warning to Taiwan, saying that a referendum risks raising tensions and would be “unhelpful”.
Michael Kau, of the Taipei representative office in the EU and Belgium, claimed on Monday that China has recently waged "psychology warfare" against Taiwan.
He said senior Chinese officials had made several visits to Brussels as part of an intensive lobbying campaign against his country's UN bid.
Now MEPs from two of parliament's largest political groups, ALDE and the EPP-ED, are urging the EU to drop its opposition and instead throw its weight behind Taiwan’s application.
ALDE group leader Graham Watson said; “a referendum to ask Taiwanese citizens if they support joining the UN is a brilliant idea.
“Twenty years after the lifting of martial law, the time is right to involve Taiwan in the international community.
“During this period, Taiwan has become the EU's 10th largest trade partner and the 4th trade actor in Asia.
“Taiwan is today the 14th largest exporter in the world. The EU should stand to recognise Taiwanese weight in the world and welcome negotiations leading to Taiwanese membership of the UN".
Dutch Liberal MEP Jules Maaten pointed out that Taiwan had the “dubious distinction” of being under martial law for longer than any other state in modern history.
“For 39 years, its citizens were subject to authoritarian, one party rule, during which time the press was stifled, opposition muffled and freedoms repressed," added Maaten, a member of parliament's Souteast Asia delegation.
“Twenty years ago, Taiwan made the first steps in its transition to democracy. Direct presidential elections have been introduced and the once-all powerful national assembly disbanded.
“Political parties are proliferating and today Taiwan is one of the freest countries in Asia.
“It has vindicated president Chen Shui-Bian's promise that 'the whole world is watching Taiwan's democracy, and the 23 million people of Taiwan will get a thumbs-up from the world'."
Maaten urged the EU to continue to work closely with the authorities “to bolster democracy, human rights and the rule of law in East Asia”.
He added: “Taiwan is recreating itself as a model of world democracy. The conditions of its peaceful rise are something its neighbours would do well to take note of.”
Both the Liberal MEPs' comments were echoed by German centre-right deputy Georg Jarzembowski, another long-time Taiwan ally, who is also backing its UN bid.
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