Taiwan revises map to exclude Mongolia as its territory

DPA (Germany) ^ | Oct 3, 2002

[Int]

Taiwan revises map to exclude Mongolia as its territory

Taipei, Oct 3 (dpa) Taiwan's Interior Ministry has revised the official map to formally exclude Outer Mongolia as part of the island's territory, ending the decades-old dispute over the sovereignty claim of Ulan Bator.

Under Taiwan's map, Outer Mongolia, which became independent in 1921, remains a part of China, of which, Taiwan still nominally claims sovereignty.

''It has come to the time for us to recognize the fact that Mongolia is an independent country, and we are just being practical in redrawing the map,'' said Interior Minister Yu Chen-hsien, referring to his ministry's recent revision of the island's territorial boundaries.

Yu said he has obtained permission from the Cabinet to revise the territorial map of Taiwan, drawing national boundary lines along Outer Mongolia and China, and identifying them as countries, a move critics said technically classifies Taiwan as a country equal to that of the two.

Despite protests from the two countries, Taiwan used to claim sovereignty over Ulan Bator and China when it was under the rule of the Nationalists or Kuomintang, who were driven off the mainland by the Chinese Communists at the end of a civil war in 1949.

Officially, Taiwan still uses the title ''Republic of China,'' which differs from the communists-ruled People's Republic of China.

Since the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party took power following the 2000 presidential election, the government has been working hard to play down everything about China and launch the so-called indigenization campaign to make the island stand out from the mainland.

Earlier in August, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian addressed Taiwan and China as two countries on each side of the Taiwan Straits, thus infuriating Beijing, which has regarded the island as a Chinese province that must be brought back to China's fold, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Chang Siao-yue yesterday played down the latest revision, saying Mongolia in reality has been independent since 1921 and is a United Nations member, being recognized diplomatically by 144 countries all over the world.

''What we are doing is just reflecting the facts,'' she said, adding that Taiwan has established substantial relations with Mongolia and swapped representative offices with Mongolia in September.

[Int]

Back to reality...

[Poohbah]

Watch the SHTF when Taiwan redraws the map to show that they don't rule the mainland, either--that's the same as declaring independence.

[#3Fan]

That about like when the Arab countries "recognized" Israel a few years ago. You'd think after getting your butt kicked several times by the same country, you'd recognize who that country was. :^)

[ffrancone]

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