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China, US butt heads over Taiwan at
WHO
By Asia Times Online staff
HONG KONG - At the 56th meeting of the World
Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body
of the World Health Organization (WHO), in Geneva on
Monday, State Council Vice Premier and newly appointed
Health Minister Wu Yi formally expressed China's fierce
opposition to the proposal made by the United States
that the WHO allow Taiwan to join the WHA. Wu also
expressed China's desire for the US to cease its support
of Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province and
an unresolved issue left over from its civil war
following World War II.
After the meeting
concluded, Wu met with US Health and Human Services
Secretary Tommy Thompson for an hour. After their
conversation, Thompson said he and Wu discussed the
global severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
epidemic, AIDS and the Taiwan issue. Thompson expressed
hope that the US and China would be able to find common
ground. Wu clearly stated that Beijing was adamant in
its wish that the US not support Taiwan.
During
an afternoon meeting of members of the general affairs
committee, it was decided that the US proposal regarding
Taiwan would not be placed on the meeting's agenda.
During the continuation of the general assembly's
meeting later in the afternoon, Taiwan diplomatic allies
Senegal, Panama and others successively expressed
support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA as an
observer nation. However, the Taiwan-as-observer
proposal met instant opposition from China ally Pakistan
and others.
Wu then iterated China's
three-pronged position on the matter:
The WHO only permits participation by sovereign
countries, while Taiwan is but a Chinese province with
no authority to participate in the organization. The
countries that advocate Taiwanese participation in the
WHO are attempting to split China into two countries,
thus attempting to damage China's sovereignty.
Taiwan seeking to participate in a "health body" has
no legal foundation. For more than 50 years, the WHO has
never accepted this idea. Wu strongly emphasized that
China would welcome Taiwan's participation in the WHO,
but only as part of the Chinese delegation.
Regarding SARS, Wu said Taiwan is a part of China's
"family" - China is very concerned regarding the Taiwan
SARS epidemic and welcomes Taiwan to work with the
mainland in efforts to battle the virus. If Taiwan wants
outside assistance, then China's central government
would be willing to consider it. Wu then revealed that
Beijing had already agreed to the idea of Taiwan's
participation in June's global SARS conference.
Thompson spoke after Wu, expressing clear US
support for Taiwan joining the WHO. Thompson indicated
that the United States would do everything it could to
control the SARS epidemic, through assistance, training
and the dispatch of experts to affected countries,
adding that the US Health and Human Services
Department's envoys dispatched this month to assist
China's health system are merely the beginning of the
international assistance the US is to provide in the
global fight against SARS.
Thompson emphasized
that the lesson everyone must learn from the SARS
epidemic is that public health does knows no boundaries,
nor is it political. Furthermore, without any mechanism
for international cooperation regarding public health
issues, the world has no chance of controlling
epidemics. "That's why the United States has strongly
supported Taiwan's inclusion in efforts against SARS and
beyond," Thompson said.
After Thompson's remarks
the general assembly's chairman announced that the issue
of Taiwan's participation in the WHO would not be
considered.
Translated by Christopher
Horton.
(2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All
rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for
information on our sales and syndication policies.)
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