President: PRC claim violates TRA provisions

This article was published by the Macroview Weekly on June 6, 2007. It reports that according to President Chen Shui-bian, China's unilateral assertion that the People's Republic of China includes Taiwan is non-factual and violates provisions of the U.S. legislation known as the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979.

Chen made the remarks while receiving a delegation organized by the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, an organization representing African-American members of the U.S. Congress.

Noting that the TRA is the U.S. law regulating U.S. engagement with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, Chen said that some of China's actions are in stark violation of TRA stipulations.

For instance, China has repeatedly blocked Taiwan's applications for representation in the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the United Nations on the grounds that Taiwan does not have statehood.

Such a claim runs counter to the TRA spirit, Chen said. He added that Article 4 of the TRA reads that whenever the laws of the United States refer to foreign countries, nations, states or governments, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with such respect to Taiwan.

The article also stipulates that none of the TRA provisions should be employed as a basis to deny or squeeze Taiwan's access or accession to international organizations, Chen said.

Since the TRA treats Taiwan as or equivalent to a sovereign country, Chen said that China's boycott of and obstruction to Taiwan's WHO and U.N. bids completely defy the spirit and principles of the TRA.

Meanwhile, according to Chen, China's claim at recent OIE and WHO annual meetings that the PRC includes Taiwan is a lie with no factual backing and completely unacceptable to the Taiwanese people.

“None of Taiwan's citizens dare to say Taiwan is part of the PRC,” Chen said. He added that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan for a single day.

In the past, China has just said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of China, Chen said. As Taiwan's president and head of state, Chen said that he is obligated to defend Taiwan's national dignity and safety. “I must rebut and clarify any of China's specious claims of jurisdiction or sovereignty over Taiwan,” Chen said.

He added that he hopes the international community will pay heed to his appeal.

According to Article 2 of the TRA, the U.S. government's concern for global human rights conditions should include those of the Taiwanese people and the U.S. government should consider any effort to determine Taiwan's future by other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security of the region and of grave concern to the U.S.