UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed on Tuesday that Taiwan's bid to apply for UN membership is legally impossible.

Ban made the remarks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York before the opening of 62nd session of the UN General Assembly.

"In light of Resolution 2758, it is not legally possible to receive the purported application for membership," the UN chief said, referring to the application of the Taiwan authorities to join the United Nations in the name of "Taiwan ."

He reiterated that the world organization recognizes the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations.

"This has been the official position of the United Nations, and has not been changed since 1971," Ban said.

He pointed out that the question of UN membership would be discussed by member states with regard to the upcoming meeting of the general committee which will decide whether or not to include Taiwan authorities' application into the supplementary items of the coming session of the General Assembly.

Since 1993, the general committee of the UN General Assembly has for the 14th consecutive time thwarted Taiwan's attempt to join the world body composed of sovereign states by rejecting to include into the agenda of the current session the so-called " question of the representation of Taiwan in the UN."

However, the Solomon Islands and a very few other countries, instigated by the Taiwan authorities and in defiance of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, have requested on Aug. 14 the issue of the so-called "Taiwan's application for the UN membership" to be considered in the forthcoming session of the General Assembly in a blatant attempt to clamor for and create " Taiwan independence."

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2007)