WHA role won't harm status: Ma

Such a strategy has resulted in improved cross-Taiwan Strait relations and enhanced mutual trust and understanding, which in turn has prompted Beijing to take a pragmatic and amicable view of Taiwan's bid to participate in the WHA, Ma said.

“This shows that harmonious and amiable cross-strait relations complement rather than conflict with Taiwan's goal of international participation,” he said.

Expressing disapproval of the aggressive strategy adopted by the former DPP administration to highlight the status of Taiwan as an independent country, the president stressed that the purpose of Taiwan's participation in the WHA is to better protect the health of the people in Taiwan, which “should not involve any unnecessary confrontation to highlight some specific ideology.”

At a time when the world is facing a possible swine flu outbreak, Taiwan's WHA participation will help the government establish closer contact with the WHO and improve its preparations for emergencies, he said.

Asked about the government's strategy to push for Taiwan's participation in the United Nations this year, Ma said his administration will continue to follow a pragmatic and flexible approach in promoting Taiwan's participation in international organizations, but will not set any “impractical objectives.”

Thanks

In a departure from the then DPP administration's high-profile push in 2007 for U.N. membership under the name “Taiwan,” Ma's government adopted a “modus vivendi” diplomatic strategy in 2008, which included seeking “meaningful participation” in the activities of the U.N.'s specialized agencies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that the government is grateful to the countries that have responded positively to Taiwan's acceptance into this year's WHA in May.

“We welcome the responses by those countries that have said they will be pleased to see Taiwan attend this year's WHA as an observer, and we thank them,” said MOFA spokesman Henry Chen.

Noting that the U.N., the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore have all responded positively to the WHA arrangement for Taiwan, Chen said the foreign ministry's representative offices in those countries will also thank the individual governments.

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