Wang expressed the stance in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in response to an act by Gambia and a very few other countries attempting to include "Taiwan's participation in the UN" in the agenda of the 56th session of the UN General Assembly.

Wang said that such an act is not only a flagrant violation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and a serious distortion of the nature of this organization, but also a brazen challenge to the one-China principle widely recognized by the international community.

"It has severely encroached upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interfered with China's internal affairs. The Chinese government strongly condemns and firmly opposes it and requests these countries to immediately correct this illegal act that has obstructed the lofty cause of China's peaceful reunification," he said.

Wang said that as of the day when the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China were restored at the UN, "the government of the People's Republic of China rightfully represents all Chinese, including our compatriots in Taiwan, in the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies."

This, he said, has fully safeguarded the UN's principle of universality, and therefore there is simply no such issue as the so-called "Taiwan's representation at the United Nations."

Wang said that the United Nations is an inter-governmental international organization composed of sovereign states, while Taiwan, as a part of China, is not eligible to participate, in whatever name and under whatever pretext, in the work or activities of the United Nations or its specialized agencies.

He noted that the General Committees of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 have all flatly refused to include in the agenda of the General Assembly the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the UN."

Although this year's proposal by a small number of countries has come out in new disguise and "gift-wrapping," its nature has not changed in the least and it is doomed to failure as before, he said.

Wang stressed that the question of Taiwan is purely an internal matter of China and a question for the Chinese people themselves to solve, adding that it brooks no interference from outside. Wang stressed that the question of Taiwan is purely an internal matter of China and a question for the Chinese people themselves to solve, adding that it brooks no interference from outside.

No one in the world cares more about the future and interests of the 23 million Chinese compatriots in Taiwan than the Chinese government and people, he said.

He said China firmly believes that the question of Taiwan will come to an appropriate solution eventually on the basis of the policy of "one country, two systems."

The one-China principle provides the basis for the peaceful and stable development of relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, Wang said.

He said that if the Taiwan authorities really have the sincerity to get this question solved and help maintain regional peace and security, they should unequivocally accept the one-China principle, admit in unmistakable terms that they themselves are Chinese and pledge explicitly that they will pursue the goal of reunification of the motherland and substantiate their words with real action.

However, the Taiwan authorities have always stuck to an evasive and ambiguous attitude towards the one-China principle, which lies at the heart of the question of Taiwan, clung to the so-called " patience over haste" policy on the development of relations across the Taiwan Straits, put obstacles in the way of trade, cultural exchange and movement of personnel between the two sides and attempted to continue their separatist moves against the motherland and create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" within the UN system under the cloak of democracy," "human rights" and "economic development," Wang said.

He said the act of the small number of countries that raised the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the UN" will only serve to add fuel to the separatist moves of the Taiwan authorities, undermine the lofty cause of China's reunification and jeopardize peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. The Chinese government firmly opposes this.

He went on to say that China has never done anything harmful to the interests of these countries, but time and again, what they have been doing regarding the question of Taiwan has undermined the fundamental national interests of China and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

Wang expressed the hope that these countries will get a clear understanding of the situation and conform to the tide of history and avoid being deceived and taken advantage of any more by the Taiwan authorities.

Receiving the letter in the absence of Annan who is now on leave, UN Under-Secretary-General and Chief de Cabinet of the Secretary-General's Executive Office Riza S. Iqbal said the UN upholds the one-China principle.

Riza said that this position, based on the historic Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971 by the 26th session of the UN General Assembly by an overwhelming majority, will not change.

Riza said that the UN Secretariat will uphold the one-China principle to protect the relations between the UN and China from suffering any harm.

The UN official expressed his confidence that although some countries again submitted a proposal on the so-called issue of Taiwan's "return" to the UN, its fate will be the same as in the past.

(Agencies 08/10/2001)