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Wednesday 29 April 2009
Beijing to approve Taiwan’s role in WHO
Taiwan’s president announced on Wednesday that Beijing would allow the island’s participation in a key World Health Organisation body, a major goal in Taipei’s campaign for international recognition.
Taiwan’s president announced on Wednesday that Beijing would allow the island’s participation in a key World Health Organisation body, a major goal in Taipei’s campaign for international recognition.
President Ma Ying-jeou’s announcement that Taiwan would join this year’s decision-making World Health Assembly in Geneva as an observer comes amid warming ties between the two sides.
Beijing normally objects to Taipei’s participation in any international organisations because that symbolises national sovereignty, and has successfully blocked Taipei’s participation in WHO since the island was expelled from the UN in 1971.
Beijing did not immediately give explicit confirmation of Mr. Ma’s announcement.
But in Beijing, Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Li Weiyi implied it was true by saying that China is “optimistic” about Taiwan’s participation this year’s assembly, which begins on May 18 in Geneva.
Taiwanese Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan showed Taiwanese TV stations a formal invitation to the May meeting from WHO Director General Margaret Chan, suggesting that the island’s participation was a done deal.
Speaking to staffers at the Presidential Office, Mr. Ma said Beijing had lifted its long-time objections to Taipei’s participation.
“The mainland authorities have made a friendly gesture,” Mr. Ma said.
Mr. Ma spokesman Wang Yu-chi said the island would participate in the assembly as an observer under the name Chinese Taipei, the same title it uses in the Olympics.
Relations between China and Taiwan have improved significantly since Ma’s election last March. Predecessor Chen Shui-bian was reviled by Beijing, because of his support for formal Taiwanese independence.
Taiwan – including under Chen – pushed hard for WHO participation, because of the access to key medical information it provides. It used the Sars outbreak in 2002-2003 as an example, saying that Beijing’s refusal to let it participate undermined its ability to deal effectively with the deadly epidemic.
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Beijing to approve Taiwan’s role in WHO
Associated Press in Taipei
29 April 2009
Taiwan’s president announced on Wednesday that Beijing would allow the island’s participation in a key World Health Organisation body, a major goal in Taipei’s campaign for international recognition.
President Ma Ying-jeou’s announcement that Taiwan would join this year’s decision-making World Health Assembly in Geneva as an observer comes amid warming ties between the two sides.
Beijing normally objects to Taipei’s participation in any international organisations because that symbolises national sovereignty, and has successfully blocked Taipei’s participation in WHO since the island was expelled from the UN in 1971.
Beijing did not immediately give explicit confirmation of Mr. Ma’s announcement.
But in Beijing, Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Li Weiyi implied it was true by saying that China is “optimistic” about Taiwan’s participation this year’s assembly, which begins on May 18 in Geneva.
Taiwanese Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan showed Taiwanese TV stations a formal invitation to the May meeting from WHO Director General Margaret Chan, suggesting that the island’s participation was a done deal.
Speaking to staffers at the Presidential Office, Mr. Ma said Beijing had lifted its long-time objections to Taipei’s participation.
“The mainland authorities have made a friendly gesture,” Mr. Ma said.
Mr. Ma spokesman Wang Yu-chi said the island would participate in the assembly as an observer under the name Chinese Taipei, the same title it uses in the Olympics.
Relations between China and Taiwan have improved significantly since Ma’s election last March. Predecessor Chen Shui-bian was reviled by Beijing, because of his support for formal Taiwanese independence.
Taiwan – including under Chen – pushed hard for WHO participation, because of the access to key medical information it provides. It used the Sars outbreak in 2002-2003 as an example, saying that Beijing’s refusal to let it participate undermined its ability to deal effectively with the deadly epidemic.
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