He stressed that the UN bid does not go against his commitment to the United States about not changing Taiwan’s status, and that he has no intentions to heighten cross-strait tensions.

“We must let the whole world hear the desire and determination of the country’s people to safeguard Taiwan’s status as a sovereign state,” Chen said.

“We must use the name ‘Taiwan’ to apply to enter the United Nations to protect the status quo from being changed or damaged,” he said during a visit to Yilan County’s Fushan Research Station under the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute.

He also dismissed critics’ claims that he was playing up the UN issue in order to boost the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s chances in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

“This is not about elections, it’s for Taiwan’s 23 million people so that they can enjoy basic human rights,” said Chen.

The DPP government’s previous attempts to have the United Nations accept Taiwan as a member have been blocked by a host of countries that recognize China’s sovereignty claim over the island.

Taiwan’s attempts to become a member of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) have also failed because of Beijing’s objection.

Chen earlier this week proposed that a referendum be held on the UN membership bid alongside next year’s presidential vote.

In response, the U.S. State Department has reiterated that Washington does not support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that require statehood.

It has also stated that Washington “opposes any initiative that appears designed to change Taiwan’s status unilaterally,” including a referendum on whether to apply to the United Nations under the name of “Taiwan.”

But Chen said Taiwan has been barred from the WHO mainly because it is not a member of the United Nations.

Taiwan’s situation is getting worse because of China’s ongoing campaign to further downgrade Taiwan’s international status, Chen said.

Chen reiterated Taiwan’s status as a sovereign nation, which is entitled to appropriate representation in the United Nations.

He said Taiwan’s bid to join the WHO has the support of 95 percent of its people, including main opposition Kuomintang presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou.

He admitted that there are controversies concerning the name that the country should use in such campaigns, but he said the dispute could be settled through a referendum.

“As to the areas where consensus is lacking, such as under what name the country should apply to the United Nations, they should be put to a referendum to allow for the establishment of a common ground acceptable to the majority of people through debate and discussion,” Chen said.

He said the introduction of a referendum system in Taiwan has been an important step to consolidate and deepen the country’s democratic development.

He claimed the proposal to hold a referendum on whether the country should apply to the United Nations under the name of “Taiwan” was initiated directly by the people, and that as president, he has an obligation to comply.

He said Taiwan’s exercising of the universal right to referendum should not be seen as the source of war or disasters.

China has threatened to take military action on Taiwan if it declares independence.

Chen said he respects the different opinions that the United States have expressed over Taiwan’s UN bid and referendum plan, and his administration will continue to communicate with Washington to try to trim the differences.

He said Taiwan’s first referendum — which was held alongside the 2004 presidential election against China’s missile threat — had also sparked great concern in the United States.

But he said the referendum went ahead despite the US pressure.

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