China reiterates Taiwan claim

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- China Thursday cited the latest U.N. General Assembly rejection of Taiwan’s membership effort to reassert its claim on the island nation.

"This again shows that no one could change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territories … and that any attempt to challenge the one-China policy and split China will doom to fail," a Chinese foreign ministry official said Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Taiwan’s membership application was not included Wednesday in the agenda for the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly.

At the United Nations, Xinhua quoted Chinese ambassador Wang Guangya as saying, “Although China is not yet reunited, the fact that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China has never been changed."

The envoy also used the occasion to attack Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, saying such efforts were meant to push for “de jure Taiwan independence,” and called the “Taiwan independence” forces the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

The Taiwanese president has called for a national referendum for U.N. membership in March, saying it is a natural part of the country's democratic development.