Taiwan has reiterated its intention to apply for United Nations membership under the name ‘Taiwan’ following a referendum to be held in March 2008.

Below is an article published by The Times of India:

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian reiterated his government's intention to apply for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" instead of its official name "Republic of China", under which Taipei held China's UN seat until 1971 when the communist government in Beijing took over.

"More than 70 per cent of the 23 million Taiwanese support joining the UN under the name of Taiwan," he said.

"Taiwan and China are individual countries across the strait," he said.

"It's a fact, the status quo and the truth. Taiwan is not part of the People's Republic of China".

Since Chen took power after winning the presidential election in 2000, the relationship between Beijing and Taipei has further soured as the party vigorously pushes forward its independence agenda.

To promote world recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state, Chen launched his plans to apply for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" in September this year and to hold a referendum on the idea in March next year alongside the presidential election.

The idea has been blasted by China, which considers Taiwan to be a renegade province, and even opposed by countries friendly to Taiwan such as the United States, which frowns on any unilateral changes in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

"Nobody can stop us. China never supports or likes whatever we do, but we can't stop just because China is unhappy," Chen said.