Ma aiming for ‘WHA observer status’

Ma made the remarks in response to a question during an interview with the Taipei-based China Television Co. (CTV) on whether he looked forward to attending next year’s informal leadership meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in person.

Noting that China has shown goodwill toward Taiwan by refraining from boycotting his decision to send former Vice President Lien Chan to attend the 2008 APEC leadership summit to be held in Lima, Peru later this month, Ma said Taiwan should not make rash moves while seeking a greater international presence or an upgraded international profile.

“Haste makes waste. As far as the issues of our participation in international activities and organizations are concerned, we still have a long way to go,” Ma said. “We should be patient and let things take their own course.”

APEC, a regional economic cooperation forum, is one of the few international organizations that admit both Taiwan and China. Because of China’s opposition, Taiwan’s presidents have been barred from the bloc’s annual leadership summit and have to send an envoy to attend on their behalf.

In 2001, then-President Chen Shui-bian intended to have former Vice President Li Yuan-zu attend that year’s APEC summit in Shanghai, but Beijing rejected the proposal, leading to Taiwan’s boycott by failing to send a presidential envoy to the event.

As a result, Beijing’s acquiescence to Lien’s attendance at the upcoming APEC summit has been seen as a goodwill gesture from Beijing to Ma’s administration, which has adopted a conciliatory approach toward China since its inauguration in May.

Despite a thawing in relations across the Taiwan Strait in the past five months, Ma said his administration would refrain from harboring unrealistic expectations of speedy improvement on Taiwan’s diplomatic front.

At the moment, Ma said, his administration focuses its efforts on push for Taiwan’s bid to gaining a seat in the WHA as an observer.

“We’ll be able to see the results of our efforts when the next WHA convenes in May 2009,” Ma noted.

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