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Taiwan has no right to join United Nations – China insists
China insisted Wednesday that Taiwan had no right to join the United Nations, after the United States ratcheted up tensions with a call for the democratic island to have greater involvement in the world body.
In a statement marking 50 years since the UN General Assembly voted to seat Beijing and boot out Taipei, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday he regretted that Taiwan had been increasingly excluded on the world stage.
“As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems. This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan,” Blinken said.
“Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one,” he said.
“That is why we encourage all UN member states to join us in supporting Taiwan’s robust, meaningful participation throughout the UN system and in the international community.”
China considers Taiwan — where nationalist forces fled in 1949 after losing a civil war to the communists — to be a province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
It responded to Blinken’s statement with strident, albeit familiar, statements emphasising its position that Taiwan’s government had no place on the global diplomatic stage.
“Taiwan has no right to join the United Nations,” Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, told reporters.
“The United Nations is an international governmental organisation composed of sovereign states… Taiwan is a part of China.”
The United States has long called for Taiwan’s inclusion in UN activities.
Defence of Taiwan
But the latest statement adds to an escalation of diplomatic rhetoric and military posturing over Taiwan.
China is regularly setting records for its number of warplane flights near the island.
US President Joe Biden last week told a televised forum that the United States was ready to defend Taiwan from any Chinese invasion.
Those comments were quickly walked back by the White House amid warnings from China, continuing a strategy of ambiguity on whether it would intervene militarily if China attacked.
The United States switched recognition in 1979 to Beijing.
But Congress at the same time approved the Taiwan Relations Act that obligated the supply of weapons to the island for its self-defence.
Blinken on Tuesday reiterated that the United States still recognised only Beijing.
But he emphasised the democratic credentials of the island of 23 million people.
“Taiwan has become a democratic success story,” Blinken said. “We are among the many UN member states who view Taiwan as a valued partner and trusted friend.”
Blinken pointed to Taiwan’s exclusion from meetings associated with the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization.
He noted that Taiwan was hailed for its “world-class” response to Covid-19 — which largely spared the island after early intervention — and that tens of millions of passengers go through Taiwanese airports each year.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen welcomed Blinken’s remarks.
“Grateful for #US support for expanding #Taiwan’s international participation,” she said on Twitter.
“We stand ready to work with all like-minded partners to contribute our expertise in international organizations, mechanisms & events.”
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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