Taiwan protests against UN report for labeling it as 'province of China'
Mar 21, 2021
Taipei [Taiwan], March 21 : Taiwan has lodged a protest against a recent global happiness report issued by the United Nations (UN) for listing the country as "province of China".
On March 20, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the UN released its World Happiness Report 2021, a global ranking of happiness levels across 149 countries. The report however has labeled Taiwan as a "province of China" since it is not a member of the UN.
Meanwhile, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed dismay about the mislabeling in the World Happiness Report. It stressed that Taiwan has its own government and sovereignty and has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reported Taiwan Times.
In response, Taiwan's representative office in New York said in a Twitter post that it has launched a protest demanding respect for the country's sovereignty and integrity. Emphasizing "Taiwan is a country," it said listing Taiwan under Chinese rule is "false, unacceptable, and a blatant disregard of the country's vibrant democracy," reported Taiwan Times.
The office also wrote that Taiwan is a place where "democracy and human rights are upheld and protected, unlike in China." It pointed out that designating Taiwan as part of China "takes away the work of the Taiwanese people."
Since the UN survey is about happiness and well-being, it should take into account the happiness of Taiwanese, the ministry added.
Taiwan Presidential Office Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka also wrote on Twitter that Taiwan "would be much higher" on the rankings if the UN stops calling it the "province of China."
According to the report, Finland once again retained the top spot, while Taiwan has been ranked as the happiest country in East Asia and the 24th happiest in the world, reported Taiwan Times.
The global happiness report rankings include a total of 149 countries and are based on GDP per capita and healthy life expectancy, plus four factors from global surveys including social support, social freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.
