The 56th World Health Assembly (WHA) decided on Monday to turn down
a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate in the assembly as an
observer, and agreed not to list the issue on the agenda of the
WHA's week-long meeting.
Similar proposals have been rejected by the WHA for seven
consecutive years since 1997. The Taiwan authority tried this year
to use severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic to realize
its political ambition, but failed once again.
Speaking at the General Council meeting and the opening plenary
session of the WHA, Chinese Vice-Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi
elaborated the principle and stand of the Chinese government on
Taiwan issue, and voiced resolute opposition to the issue to be
listed on the WHA agenda.
At
this moment when China and the whole world are battling the SARS
epidemic, a handful of countries tabled a proposal inviting Taiwan
to participate in the WHA as an observer with no respect to the
United Nations Charter and the previous decisions made by the WHA
in the past six years, Wu said.
She briefed the delegates the exchange and cooperation between the
two sides across the Taiwan Strait in the field of public health in
the past few years.
The central government of China is extremely concerned about the
SARS outbreak on both sides across the strait, adding that a series
of measures have been taken to strengthen information exchange and
technical cooperation in this regard, Wu noted.
"We have on many occasions stated our willingness to extend to
Taiwan all possible help and hold discussions with Taiwan about a
joint strategy to fight SARS," she said.
Health agencies on the Chinese mainland have shared with their
Taiwan counterparts related information and prevention and
treatment techniques on SARS. Both sides have also held symposiums
and tele-conference on SARS in the past few months.
Wu
said that the China Center of Disease Control and Prevention has
also provided test reagent to relevant disease control agencies in
Taiwan.
She said that the central government has allowed the World Health
Organization (WHO) to send experts to Taiwan for SARS inspection,
and given green light to Taiwan medical experts to attend the
international conference on SARS in June this year.
The Chinese vice-premier also reiterated that WHO is a special UN
agency that only sovereign states can join. Taiwan, as a province
of China, has no qualification to participate in WHO activities in
any manner or to attend the WHA meeting in any name.
WHA is the annual conference of the 192-member WHO and this year's
assembly is held on May 19-28. SARS containment, health problems in
postwar Iraq, tobacco control and children's health are on the top
of the meeting's agenda.
On
May 15, Zhang Qiyue, spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry,
said that China strongly objected any attempt by the Taiwan
authority to participate in the WHA in the name of SARS.
(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2003)