The General Committee of the United Nations General Assembly decided Wednesday at its 59th session not to include into the draft agenda of the current session the so-called "question of the representation of 23 million people of Taiwan in the UN."

The General Assembly has, for the 12th consecutive time, thwarted Taiwan's attempt to join the world inter-governmental body composed of sovereign states.

The decision was announced by Jean Ping, president of the current session of the UN General Assembly, after a long debate on the issue, raised by Chad and a few other countries.

Addressing the session, Wang Guangya, Chinese permanent representative to the UN, said the purpose of a few countries is nothing but to create "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" in the United Nations, This not only runs counter to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the UNGA resolution 2758, but also constitutes a brazen challenge to the one-China principle widely recognized by the international community.

"The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such a gross encroachment on China's internal affairs," Wang said.

Delegates from 93 countries addressed the General Committee session in favor of China's position not to consider the issue, including those from Russia, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Nigeria and Indonesia.

In their speech, delegates from many countries expressed the belief that there is no such issue as Taiwan's representation in the UN, as Resolution 2758 has solved the issue of UN representation for China, which includes Taiwan. Many said that raising the issue of Taiwan's representation in the UN constituted a violation of UN Charter and an interference in China's internal affairs.

Some noted that despite a clear decision of the General Assembly more than 34 years ago, the repetitious and wasteful debate has consumed the assembly's valuable time and energy which should have been devoted to more substantive issues and expressed the hope this is the last time the General Committee would discuss the issue.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Wang Guangya said the outcome testified once more to the fact that one-China policy has been the consensus of the international community and any attempts by a handful of elements who advocate "Taiwan's independence" to create "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" is unpopular and boomed to failure.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2004)