Wang Guangya, China's ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to reporters on Monday at the UN headquarters after the UN rejected Taiwan's application to join the world body, praising the UN's rejection of the bid. [Xinhua]

The United Nations has rejected Taiwan's application to become a member of the world body, citing its adherence to the "one China" policy and its recognition of the Chinese government in Beijing.

The application was returned by the UN Office of Legal Affairs, according to the UN's Chinese-language website.

The United Nations rejected the application on Monday, citing a 1971 resolution that recognizes the People's Republic of China as the lawful representative to the world body.

"This resolution determined that the UN carries out a 'one China' policy," the UN said.

Taiwan was expelled from the UN in 1971.

China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya highly praised the UN's rejection of the application.

Wang said it was an absurd act for the representatives of three countries, including the Solomon Islands, to submit an application letter for UN membership, on behalf of Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon last Thursday.

The ambassador said the Chinese government firmly opposes this blatant attempt at splitting China, reiterating that articles of the UN Charter stipulate only a sovereign state can apply for a UN membership, and Taiwan is part of China. He added that Taiwan is ineligible to join the UN in any name or in any way.

A spokesperson from the UN secretariat confirmed on Monday that it had returned the letter one day after it received it, according to UN's General Assembly Resolution 2758.

Wang Guangya said the immediate return of the letter helps guarantee the solemnity of the UN Charter as well as the authority of the UN.

The ambassador also expressed his belief that the Chinese government will continue to gain the support of the UN, and its member states, in the cause of maintaining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In Beijing, China on Tuesday branded Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian a "schemer" for his attempt to push Taiwan into the United Nations, saying that "Taiwan independence" activities are doomed to fail.

The Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council made the remark in a statement following the UN rejection of Taiwan authorities' application to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan.

The statement said the decision was made in keeping with resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly, which determined that the United Nations abides by the one-China policy.

The resolution, which was adopted in 1971 at the 26th UN General Assembly, says, "The representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations".

Move Opposed by US, Russia

On July 19, the island applied to join the United Nations as Taiwan. The bid reflected the policies of Chen Shui-bian, who favors making the island's de facto independence.

It was roundly condemned by Beijing, and also opposed by the United States, which saw it as an effort to change the fragile status quo that has governed relations among the three since Washington transferred its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

The US also accepts the "one China" policy.

Russia opposes to the "referendum on joining the United Nations" pushed by the Chen Shui-bian authorities and Taiwan's attempt to join the United Nations under any name or by any means, as well as the so-called "Taiwan independence," said a senior diplomat in Moscow on Monday.

Russia has noticed that the Chen Shui-bian authorities is speeding up efforts in promoting a "referendum on joining the United Nations" and seeking "UN membership under the name Taiwan", said deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko.

Russia regards such moves as dangerous splittism activities which will pose grave threat to peace and security across the Taiwan Straits and in the Asian-Pacific region, Yakovenko told Chinese ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang in a meeting.

Russia unswervingly and firmly supports Chinese government's stance on the Taiwan issue, holding that there's only one China in the world, the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China as a whole and Taiwan is an indivisible part of China, he said.

Moscow's such stance has been stated in the Russia-China Friendly Treaty on Good-Neighborly Cooperation inked in 2001 and President Vladimir Putin reiterated it in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi earlier this month, he noted.