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Published: July 29, 2005
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In a letter from the representatives to the United Nations (UN) of our 14 diplomatic allies ˇV including the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Chad, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Swaziland, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -- addressed separately to Amb. Jean Ping, Foreign Minister of Gabon and President of the 59th session of the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and Amb. Adamantios Vassilakis, UN Security Council Chairman for July and Greeceˇ¦s Permanent Representative to the UN, it was stressed that Chinaˇ¦s unilateral enactment of the so-called ˇ§Anti-secession Lawˇ¨ has threatened the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and further endangered peace and stability in the East Asian region.
The UN Secretariat has circulated the letter, addressed to the President of the 59th session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 24, entitled ˇ§Prevention of Armed Conflict,ˇ¨ as an official document numbered A/59/877 and dated July 20, 2005, to all UN Member States.
In the letter, the aforementioned allies pointed out that the so-called ˇ§Anti-secession Lawˇ¨ gives China a legal excuse to invade Taiwan by force. It publicly defies the principles of not using force and not threatening to use force as stated in the UN Charter. It also goes against the spirit of the Secretary-Generalˇ¦s report to the General Assembly entitled: ˇ§In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all,ˇ¨ as well as the vision of collective security that was elaborated in that report. Chinaˇ¦s enactment of this Law has not only threatened the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, but has also endangered the peace and stability of the East Asian region. In the same letter, our allies also stated that, in order to safeguard peace, and based on a vision of collective security, Member States should take preventive measures in the face of this threat. They also strongly urged the UN to facilitate the necessary dialogue between Taiwan and the Peopleˇ¦s Republic of China in the hope that disputes can be resolved peacefully and negative consequences avoided.
Dr. Tan Sun Chen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed and sincerely thanked the 14 allies for their long-term concern about the cross-Strait situation, as well as their constructive actions based on a belief in the universal values of democracy, human rights, prosperity and justice. MOFA also expressed its appreciation to those allies that did not sign the letter but expressed their support to Taiwan through either letters directed to the UN or other channels.
MOFA reiterates that it is an undeniable fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have long existed separately and have been ruled by different governments, with neither side subordinate to the other. We will not allow China to use the so-called ˇ§One China principleˇ¨ to unilaterally misrepresent cross-Strait issues as an ˇ§internal affairˇ¨. Chinaˇ¦s annual defence budget has increased by two digits within the past 10 years. More than 700 missiles, aiming at Taiwan, were deployed along the Chinese southeast coast, and have consequently threatened the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The cross-Strait issues concern not just the well-being of the people of Taiwan and China, but also the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific Region. The international community should closely monitor the cross-Strait situation and seek solutions to these pressing issues. At a time when the UN is undergoing major reforms, MOFA hopes that UN Member States can display moral courage and determination to reform, faithfully fulfilling the UNˇ¦s obligation to maintain international peace and security, and they can bravely resist Chinaˇ¦s irrational threats, jointly condemn Chinaˇ¦s military threats and provide assistance in the maintenance of the status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait.
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