Before the 2008 election, Taiwan made a move to change its current status. From AP, via myway.com:
Taiwan will proceed with a planned referendum on rejoining the United Nations under its own name, an official said Wednesday, despite strong objections to the move from China and the United States.
China, which considers Taiwan its territory even though the island has ruled itself since 1949, fiercely opposes the move as a step toward formalizing Taiwan’s de facto independence, and Washington this week urged Taiwan not to stoke tensions by going forward with the vote.
Even if the referendum passes, however, Taiwanese membership would still need to be approved by the General Assembly with the recommendation of the Security Council – a virtual impossibility considering China’s veto-wielding seat on the council and the wide backing for its “one China” policy among General Assembly members. [Full Text]
Read also: Edward Cody’s article on the Washington Post.
