THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE UNITED NATIONS 2
The Repercussions of Republic of China's Potential Inclusion in the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is arguably the most important global organization that any
country could join. Established in 1945, the organization constitutes 193 sovereign states. Its
overarching responsibility is to oversee global peace. Besides, it also fosters cohesion between
member states, resolves international problems, and espouses human rights. The Republic of
China (ROC) was once a charter member of the body until 1971 when its membership was
revoked. The abrogation arose following a contention between itself and the People’s Republic
of China over rights to act as China’s representative in the UN (Huang, 2003). The ROC lost the
battle and its efforts to rejoin the organization since have repeatedly been futile. The inclusion of
ROC, currently known as Taiwan, will not only help the state safeguard its citizens, but also
enhance regional integration, promote regional and international peace.
Granting the country a seat in the UN can help uphold the integrity and streamline
international cooperation. An inclusion would allow Taiwan to participate in critical international
decisions, for example, cooperative efforts to eradicate severe epidemics such as Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The reason is that multitudes of people travel to and fro the
country. According to transportation data, locals and foreigners make approximately 11 million
foreign trips in and out of Taiwan annually (Chen, 2005). This implies that the state would be a
vital participant in the international health sector. Its addition to the World Health Organization
would be crucial to the global community, as it would actively contribute to the foreign disease
prevention policies in existence.
The inclusion of ROC into the UN would improve the country’s domestic, as well as
regional, and international security significantly. Terrorism has become one of the biggest
challenges in the 21st century. No nation is safe if left to stand on its own with regard to security.
All countries willing to safeguard themselves against terrorism are stronger together. Currently,