Taiwan Has Name Dispute With GATT

Taiwan has rejected a proposal by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade that it change the name under which it is seeking to join, state radio said.

Taiwan applied to join the world trade body in 1990 as the “Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu” instead of under its official name, the “Republic of China,” in an attempt to avoid opposition from Beijing.

But processing of the application is being delayed. China, which has viewed Taiwan as a renegade province since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, is insisting that it be allowed to join GATT first.

Leading members of GATT proposed that the words “Chinese Taipei” be added to the end of the name in Taiwan’s application, the radio quoted unidentified Taiwanese officials as saying.