China expressed Friday strong indignation and resolute opposition to a proposal by a small number of countries for the so-called "Taiwan representation in the United Nations."

On August 7 (New York Time), at the instigation of the Taiwan authorities, a very few countries including Gambia wrote to the UN Secretary General, requesting the so-called "representation of Taiwan in the United Nations" be discussed at the 57th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan said.

This is a serious violation of the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, an infringement of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and an interference in China's internal affairs, Kong said.

China expressed strong indignation and firm opposition to the move, Kong said.

There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, the spokesman said. The United Nations is an inter-governmental international organization of sovereign states, and as a province of China, Taiwan had absolutely no qualifications whatsoever to join the United Nations and its special organizations in any name or in any form, Kong said.

UN Resolution 2758 adopted by the 26th session of the General Assembly in 1971 recognized the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government representing the entire Chinese people and it has resolved the issue of China's representation in the United Nations in terms of politics, law and procedure once and for all, Kong said.

The General Committees of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 have all refused to include the so-called question of Taiwan's "participation" in the United Nations in the agenda of the General Assembly, Kong said. This shows the stance of the Chinese Government on the issue enjoys extensive understanding and support from the international community, he said.

Reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of the Chinese people across the Taiwan Strait and an inevitable trend, he said. But the Taiwan authorities continue to reject the "One China" principle, and have gone so far as to claim "one country on each side" and go on plotting "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" in the United Nations, trumpeting Taiwan as "a sovereign state," which openly challenges Resolution 2758, Kong said.

What the Taiwan authorities have done goes counter to the tide of history, is unpopular and is bound to fail again, Kong said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2002)