China on Wednesday (October 27th) rejected the United States’ proposal to grant Taiwan a “meaningful participation“At the UN, after Joe Biden’s statements on his”engagementTo defend the island from a possible Chinese attack. “Taiwan is a crucial partner of the United States and a democratic achievement“, Estimated Tuesday the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken against the backdrop of growing tensions with Beijing over the fate of the island.
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In a statement, he called on the rest of the world to “support Taiwan’s meaningful and robust participation in the UN system and the international community“, Believing that its contribution was necessary to cope”to an unprecedented number of global challenges“. The Chinese reaction was not long in coming: “Taiwan has no right to participate in the UNTaiwan Affairs Bureau spokesman Ma Xiaoguang said Wednesday in Beijing, recalling that only sovereign states can join the United Nations.
«A pragmatic question»
The controversy between the two giants of the Pacific comes as the communist regime has just celebrated with fanfare the 50th anniversary of its membership in the UN, to the detriment of the Taiwanese government which until then occupied the seat attributed to China. Antony Blinken noted that the participation of Taiwan “to certain specialized UN agencies“Had been effective”for most of the last 50 years».
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He noted, however, that she had become “recentlyImpossible, especially within the World Health Organization or the International Civil Aviation Organization – pointing out, without naming it, the growing opposition from China. “Taiwan’s exclusion undermines the important work of the UN and its agencies», He insisted. The Secretary of State asserts that Taiwanese participation in the UN system “is not a political question, but a pragmatic question», And insists that it conforms to its doctrine with regard to the island and China.
Taiwan, considered a Chinese province awaiting reunification
«Thank you Blinken for recognizing Taiwan’s role as America’s vital partner and democratic model.“, Reacted on Twitter the Taiwanese diplomacy, welcoming support”crucial to effectively face global challenges“. Washington regularly defends a better representation of Taipei in United Nations agencies and international meetings. But the publication of such a statement when tensions are at their height with Beijing, on this issue as on many other subjects, seems intended to send a new message of firmness.
China considers the island of 23 million inhabitants, which it does not control, as one of its provinces awaiting reunification with the rest of the country. But the Asian giant has recently increased the incursions of warplanes into the air defense identification zone (Adiz) of Taiwan, raising fears of a desire to break with the status quo in the long term – and pushing the States – United to raise the tone.
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Asked last week about the possibility of US military intervention to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, President Joe Biden replied in the affirmative: “Yes, we have a commitment to this», He had declared. His statement appeared to contradict the long-standing policy of the United States known as “of strategic ambiguity“. By virtue of this, Washington helps Taipei build and strengthen its defenses but without explicitly promising to come to its aid in the event of an attack.
The remarks of the American president had been badly received in Beijing, which called him to the “prudence” in order to “not to seriously damage Sino-US relations“. The US government subsequently took care to ensure that its policy towards Taiwan had not changed. The United States has recognized Communist China since 1979, to the detriment of Taiwan, but the American Congress at the same time requires that the island be supplied with arms for its defense.
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