August 8, 2003
China on Friday rejected a proposal by some UN member nations for allowing Taiwan's representation in the world body. "China is vehemently indignant at the proposal and determinedly opposes Gambia and other countries' interference in China's internal affairs and the violation of Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
There is only one China in the world, Kong said, adding that "Taiwan, as part of China, has no qualification, in any name or any form, to join the United Nations which is composed of sovereign countries."
Kong was reacting to Gambia and a few other countries writing to the UN Secretary General, requesting that the question of representation of Taiwan in the United Nations be discussed by the 58th session of the General Assembly of the UN.
He pointed out that since 1993, the general committees of each session of the UN General Assembly had refused to include the so-called question of Taiwan's participation in the United Nations on their agenda for almost a decade.
"That shows the international community shares a consensus on this issue," Kong was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. China views Taiwan as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.
The ruling communist party's mouthpiece, the People's Daily, on Thursday in a commentary had criticised the Taiwanese government for impeding the smooth development of relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
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