Taiwan should actively seek entry in WTO

Lung-chu Chen

On Oct. 4, the US House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill supporting Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization (WHO), which also demanded the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, to report to the US Congress before the end of the year on how the State Department would help Taiwan participate in the WHO and other international organizations. Hopefully a corresponding bill will be approved by the Senate.

This marks the first occasion that the US Congress has made substantive requests of the Executive Branch to assist Taiwan's entry into designated international organizations. In view of the opposition to Taiwan's entry into the UN voiced by the US delegate during the recent UN General Assembly meeting, this resolution is especially significant.

A sanitary and healthy environment is essential and fundamental to the realization of human dignity. The WHO mission statement explicitly states that the organization's objective is the attainment of the highest possible level of health of all people. Taiwan remains excluded, although our population is greater than that of three-quarters of WHO members. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for Taiwan to obtain information on disease epidemic in other areas of the world and technological developments in health care.

For example, when the enterovirus broke out among several thousand young children in Taiwan last year, the island was unable to receive any assistance from the organization. After the 921 earthquake, Taiwan was again unable to receive timely assistance from the WHO.

US Congressman Sherrod Brown, who introduced the bill supporting Taiwan's WHO membership, put it best. A denial of Taiwan's participation in the WHO is "an unjustifiable violation of its people's fundamental human rights," he said.

Taiwan's participation in the WHO would allow the 22 million people of Taiwan to share medical information, technologies, and resources with other people of the world. At the same time, Taiwan, with its highly advanced economy and technology, may also be able to assist others. By being both a beneficiary of and a contributor to the WHO, Taiwan would testify to the effectiveness of the "health for all by the year 2000 movement" being promoted by the WHO.

However, this international organization has refused Taiwan's participation for political reasons, primarily China's adamant insistence on a "one China policy," in total disregard of the historical reality that it has never governed Taiwan.

Under this reasoning, China's WHO membership sufficiently represents Taiwan. Therefore, the reports published by the WHO also list Taiwan as part of China. When Chinese coastal areas were classified as an area with an epidemic of cholera, Taiwan's sanitary and safety image was also dragged down, probably incurring losses of foreign trade and tourism as a result.

China is run by a political regime without any regard for the security of life, property, and dignity. After cracking down with tanks on the students in 1989 who wanted democracy, China's demand that its consent would be required before relief supplies donated by other countries could be sent to Taiwan after the 921 earthquake should not surprise anyone. As for whether this demand seriously delayed the rescue of stranded victims, treatment of the injured, or timely delivery of relief supplies, these simply do not constitute legitimate issues to China. To place the Taiwan people in a position on par with other people, of course Taiwan must participate in the international community.

Unfortunately, based on political considerations, the US government actually spoke out against Taiwan's entry into the UN during a UN General Assembly meeting. The House of Representatives' approval of a bill in support of Taiwan's entry into the WHO should therefore be considered a belated justice for Taiwan.

The concept of "human rights before sovereignty" has gradually won the recognition of the international community, particularly after the Kosovo and East Timor incidents.

The WHO was established pursuant to the UN's spirit of human rights protection. To ensure that the people of our global village all enjoy a healthy living environment, the WHO should consent to Taiwan's participation, as a member or an observer, as soon as possible. Taiwan has established a unique economic, political, social, and cultural system and environment apart from China. The correct way to realize the WHO's organizational goal for world human rights is for the US and other WHO member countries to support Taiwan's entry into the WHO.

The bill introduced by Congressman Brown was approved due to the strong and long-term advocacy of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs and other groups within and outside the US. The passage of the bill proves that we will soon be able to obtain international recognition, as long as we stand firmly and continue to communicate our position. The devastating earthquake cannot dampen the determination of the people of Taiwan in seeking the island's democratic independence. We should enthusiastically seek opportunities to enter all types of international organizations. As long as we work together in unity, we will be able to win the recognition and support of the international community.

Chen Lung-chu is the Founder and Chairman of the Chen Lung-chu New Century Foundation.