2007年7月19日，陳水扁政府首度以「臺灣」的名義，向聯合國遞交臺灣申請加入聯合國的申請書，雖遭到聯合國秘書處的拒絕申請，但此舉也等於向國際社會宣告臺灣想成爲聯合國會員國的意願及企圖。國際政治的因素、國內反對勢力的掣肘及陳水扁政府缺乏長程及宏觀的臺灣入聯戰略及規劃，終致入聯公投的未能成案。未來對美國及亞太形勢的挑戰，不是來自臺灣追求國際地位導致中國以軍事衝突作爲威脅的問題，而可能會是來自馬英九政府與中國發展密切但不對等的關係。

The Chen Shui-bian administration submitted an application for membership of the United Nations in the name of "Taiwan" on July 19, 2007. Although Taiwan's application was outright rejected by the Secretariat of the United Nations, it clearly demonstrated to the international community Taiwan's will and attempt to become a member state of the United Nations. Factors contributing to a failed referendum on Taiwan's membership of the U.N. included: factors of international politics, opposition of the KMT or the Nationalist Chinese Party in Taiwan and lack of a clear and long-term strategy of the Chen Shui-bian administration on Taiwan's attempt to becoming a member of the U.N. Challenges to the United States and to the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region in the future would not be originated form Taiwan's pursuance of its international status, which would be regarded as antagonizing China, but would come from Taiwan's closer yet unequal relations with China.