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SARS complicates cross-Strait
detente
By Asia Times Online Staff
HONG KONG - Before the outbreak of severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) in southern China's
Guangdong province and its subsequent jump across the
Taiwan Strait, there were indications that cross-Strait
relations were warming, at least superficially.
Unprecedented "indirect" air links between Taipei and
mainland China were opened during the Chinese New Year
holiday, Taiwanese investment in China was up and talk
of taidu, Taiwanese independence, had by and
large disappeared from news on either side of the
Strait. Nothing major was happening diplomatically
between Beijing and Taipei, but cross-Strait relations
seemed more positive (or less negative) than they had
been for quite a while.
Once Taiwan registered
its first SARS case in February, whatever detente had
emerged between the mainland and Taiwan, which Beijing
considers an inseparable part of China, began to erode
rapidly. First there were accusations by Taiwan that
Beijing was covering up the serious nature of China's
SARS outbreak, thus endangering Taiwan and other
neighbors of the mainland.
At first Beijing
denied that it had been whitewashing its SARS problem,
but then made a surprise about-face on April 20, when it
admitted to doing just that. Then came a diplomatic tiff
in Geneva with China on one side and Taiwan and the
United States on the other, in which China in effect
blocked Taiwan's participation in the World Health
Organization's highest decision-making body, the World
Health Assembly (see China, US butt heads over Taiwan at the
WHO, May 21). Over the weekend, Taiwan responded to
Beijing's offer for aid in its battle against SARS in a
way that is likely to be considered completely justified
by one side of the Taiwan Strait and a face-losing
rejection by the other.
Taiwan's Mainland
Affairs Council (MAC) on Sunday formally rejected
mainland China's proposed aid package for fighting the
SARS epidemic on the island. The aid package was to
include a team of mainland medical experts to be sent to
the island, as well as a donation of medical supplies.
In its rejection of Beijing's assistance package, the
MAC continued its criticism of the mainland's policy of
obstructing Taiwan's US-backed entry into the WHO as
either a member or an observer. The council said
malicious feelings toward Taiwan were the driving force
behind Beijing's opposition to Taiwan participating in
the WHO in any way.
Taiwan's semi-official
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), which is run by the
MAC, sent a fax to the MAC's mainland counterpart, the
Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, in
which it said that if the current leadership in Beijing
is truly concerned about the well-being of the Taiwanese
people and places importance upon long-term cross-Strait
relations, then it should truly understand the needs and
feelings of the Taiwanese people and not continue
sabotaging efforts by the island to participate in or
cooperate or interact with the WHO or similar national
or international organizations.
The SEF
statement continued that the mainland was on the cusp of
a massive SARS epidemic and should first concern itself
with effectively controlling the virus's outbreak and
reducing the global panic that has resulted from the
epidemic. Taiwan, it said, was already in possession of
sufficient supplies with which to use in its anti-SARS
efforts. The organization requested that the medical
supplies and materials offered by Beijing remain on the
mainland for use by Chinese medical staff and
epidemiologists. It added that if the mainland was in
need of anything with which to fight its SARS epidemic,
Taiwan would be willing to provide as much assistance as
possible.
In the meantime, Taiwan's SARS
epidemic continues to spread. In a report on Sunday
morning issued by Chen Chien-jen, the new director
general of Taiwan's Department of Health, according to
the most recent statistical data, Taiwan's potential
SARS cases increased by 22 on Saturday. There were 15
new cases and no new deaths on Sunday. As of Monday, the
total of possible or confirmed cases on the island stood
at 585. Chen announced 12 new SARS-related deaths,
bringing Taiwan's SARS death total to 72 cases.
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou accepted the
resignation of Chiu Shu-ti, director of the city's
municipal Health Bureau. Ma said it was the second time
that Chiu had offered her resignation - he said he had
refused her previous offer on May 8 because of the
severity of Taipei's SARS epidemic at the time, but she
insisted that he accept it this time. The vacancy at the
top of the Bureau of Health will be temporarily filled
by Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der, who will execute the
office's duties until a new bureau head is selected.
Translation and additional reporting by
Christopher Horton.
(Copyright 2003 Asia
Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact content@atimes.com for
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