WHA role won't harm status: Ma

As an observer at the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body, Taiwan will enjoy the same rights and will have the same obligations as other WHA observers, he said at a news conference to clear up any doubts.

WHA observers are different from full members only in that they do not have voting rights.

“We will be participating under these conditions, and the name used will be 'Chinese Taipei,' which involves nothing that would downgrade our sovereign status,” Ma explained.

He pointed out that Taiwan is known simply as “Chinese Taipei” in the World Trade Organization (WTO), although the country's membership name is “the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.”

Taiwan also used the name “Chinese Taipei” to join the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1991, Ma noted.

After 12 failed attempts since 1997 to participate in the WHA, Taiwan received a letter from the WHO Tuesday inviting it to take part as an observer in the next WHA meeting scheduled to open on May 18 in Geneva.

The invitation opens the way for Taiwan to participate for the first time in any meeting or activity of the United Nations specialized agencies since the country lost its U.N. membership to China in 1971.

The former ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), however, has expressed fears Taiwan is being invited to attend the WHA as an non-governmental organization or an associate of China, rather than a sovereign state.

Ma explained that over the past year since his inauguration, his administration has been promoting a “modus vivendi” diplomatic strategy that favors a moderate and pragmatic approach, with the goal of ending the cutthroat struggle between Taiwan and China in the international arena.

1|2|Next Page>>

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email