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Friday 1 May 2009
Rejoining UN health body opens a door for Taiwan, Ma says
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday rejoining the World Health Assembly has opened a door for the island to increase its international presence.
Rejoining UN health body opens a door for Taiwan, Ma says
Lawrence Chung in Taipei 1 May 2009
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday rejoining the World Health Assembly has opened a door for the island to increase its international presence.
But he stressed that Taiwan should refrain from using a confrontational approach that could irritate the mainland in pursuing that goal.
“In seeking to participate in international affairs, we must adopt a pragmatic yet flexible attitude on a step-by-step basis, no rashness and no action that would go beyond pragmatism and surprise others,” Mr. Ma told a news conference.
His comments came shortly after the World Health Organisation invited Taiwan to attend its top decision-making body, the World Health Assembly in Geneva, on May 18 as an observer in the name of “Chinese Taipei”.
The invitation marks the first time in 38 years that Taiwan will be able to attend any UN-related activities. Its return to the global health body comes after struggling to do so for 12 years.
Beijing, which considers Taiwan a part of the mainland, had opposed the island joining international groups which require statehood, but Mr. Ma adopted a policy of engaging the mainland after he became the island’s president in May last year.
Calling the latest development a milestone for Taiwan’s participation in world affairs, Mr. Ma said the change of global mindset from cold war hostility to pragmatic co-operation in the past 38 years was one reason the island had finally been able to return to the global health body.
Mr. Ma cited a sharp improvement in cross-strait relations, an increase in mutual trust and Taiwan’s promotion of a diplomatic truce with the mainland as other reasons.
“We firmly believe Taiwan’s participation in international affairs and [amiable] cross-strait relations are interrelated, and both are the common desire of all people in Taiwan.”
Mr. Ma said that when it came to joining other international organisations, Taiwan “should refrain from participating for participation’s sake, seeking breakthroughs for breakthrough’s sake”, and need not adopt a “confrontational approach”.
Asked if Taiwan would apply to join the United Nations at its assembly meeting in September, Mr. Ma remained cautious, saying it was important for Taiwan to focus on how to present Taiwan at this month’s WHA meeting.
“Instead of aiming for a higher goal, we should let other WHO members know that we attend the assembly for the sake of professionalism and for the safeguarding of public health,” he said.
He said it was more important to make Taiwan’s participation a “plus rather than a minus”.
Asked if the diplomatic truce would lead to Taiwan reducing the size of its defence forces, he said that although the fast-improving cross-strait relationship would create a conducive environment, Taiwan would not weaken its defences.
“We will maintain the level of our defence budget at 3 per cent of our gross domestic product,” he said, adding that Taiwan’s military also needed funds to push through its professional soldier system.
Taiwan plans to phase out its decades-old military conscription system by 2014, preferring to hire professional soldiers rather than draft civilians.
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Rejoining UN health body opens a door for Taiwan, Ma says
Lawrence Chung in Taipei
1 May 2009
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday rejoining the World Health Assembly has opened a door for the island to increase its international presence.
But he stressed that Taiwan should refrain from using a confrontational approach that could irritate the mainland in pursuing that goal.
“In seeking to participate in international affairs, we must adopt a pragmatic yet flexible attitude on a step-by-step basis, no rashness and no action that would go beyond pragmatism and surprise others,” Mr. Ma told a news conference.
His comments came shortly after the World Health Organisation invited Taiwan to attend its top decision-making body, the World Health Assembly in Geneva, on May 18 as an observer in the name of “Chinese Taipei”.
The invitation marks the first time in 38 years that Taiwan will be able to attend any UN-related activities. Its return to the global health body comes after struggling to do so for 12 years.
Beijing, which considers Taiwan a part of the mainland, had opposed the island joining international groups which require statehood, but Mr. Ma adopted a policy of engaging the mainland after he became the island’s president in May last year.
Calling the latest development a milestone for Taiwan’s participation in world affairs, Mr. Ma said the change of global mindset from cold war hostility to pragmatic co-operation in the past 38 years was one reason the island had finally been able to return to the global health body.
Mr. Ma cited a sharp improvement in cross-strait relations, an increase in mutual trust and Taiwan’s promotion of a diplomatic truce with the mainland as other reasons.
“We firmly believe Taiwan’s participation in international affairs and [amiable] cross-strait relations are interrelated, and both are the common desire of all people in Taiwan.”
Mr. Ma said that when it came to joining other international organisations, Taiwan “should refrain from participating for participation’s sake, seeking breakthroughs for breakthrough’s sake”, and need not adopt a “confrontational approach”.
Asked if Taiwan would apply to join the United Nations at its assembly meeting in September, Mr. Ma remained cautious, saying it was important for Taiwan to focus on how to present Taiwan at this month’s WHA meeting.
“Instead of aiming for a higher goal, we should let other WHO members know that we attend the assembly for the sake of professionalism and for the safeguarding of public health,” he said.
He said it was more important to make Taiwan’s participation a “plus rather than a minus”.
Asked if the diplomatic truce would lead to Taiwan reducing the size of its defence forces, he said that although the fast-improving cross-strait relationship would create a conducive environment, Taiwan would not weaken its defences.
“We will maintain the level of our defence budget at 3 per cent of our gross domestic product,” he said, adding that Taiwan’s military also needed funds to push through its professional soldier system.
Taiwan plans to phase out its decades-old military conscription system by 2014, preferring to hire professional soldiers rather than draft civilians.
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