Taiwan’s Losing Battle

Council on Foreign Relations

Taiwan’s latest bid to enter the United Nations under its own name and hold a national referendum on the issue has generated criticism from both China and Taiwan’s major ally, the United States. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas J. Christensen called the referendum “ill conceived and potentially quite harmful” (PDF) and said such a step ignored Taiwan’s national security interests for short-term political gain. The United Nations, which decided to give the China seat to Beijing in 1971, has rejected all applications from Taiwan to join, including in a vote this month (AP).

Domestically, support for independence appears high; one hundred thousand people recently marched on Taiwan’s streets in support of the referendum on joining the UN (BBC). Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has slammed Washington for siding with China (DPA). But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says Washington is opposed to any initiative that appears......

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