The use of “Chinese Taipei” as Taiwan’s designation at the World Health Assembly (WHA) was a scam used to cheat the public, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan’s real title at the health assembly was “Taiwan, province of China.”
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) told a press conference she suspected that “Chinese Taipei” was simply the epithet that Taiwan uses at the WHA.
“It’s similar to the WTO, where Taiwan’s full title is the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. But for the sake of convenience, we are known as Chinese Taipei,” she said.
Kuan said that as of 10am yesterday, the WHO still regarded Taiwan as part of China because it had listed Taiwan’s first confirmed H1N1 case as a Chinese case.
“At 6:44pm on Thursday, the WHO Web site showed that China had seven confirmed cases. But at 8:22pm, the number jumped to eight. I have credible information that the additional case was the case from Taiwan,” she said.
Last night, WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi was quoted by a Central News Aency report as saying that Taiwan’s confirmed swine flu cases are all listed under China.
DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said the fact that the WHO regards Taiwan as part of China proved that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has failed to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty.
She said that in 2003, Taiwan successfully protested against the WHO when the health body lumped Taiwan and China together during the SARS epidemic.
“Taiwan was not even a WHA observer at that time, but the DPP government was able to persuade the WHO to rectify its mistake. Why is it that the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] has no problem submitting to China?” the lawmaker asked.
She also attacked Department of Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川), accusing him of knowingly disregarding Taiwan’s public health after he failed to have his temperature taken at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport when returning from the WHA meeting in Geneva.
“He is supposedly the top health official in our country, yet his actions tell the public that it isn’t necessary to take precautions. What a huge insult,” she said.
In response, Yeh and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) spokesman Shih Wen-yi (施文儀) said yesterday that the CDC was waiting to see how the WHO would handle the reporting and registering of Taiwan’s A(H1N1) influenza cases.
“We will do what we need to do. But for now let our diplomats do their jobs,” Yeh said. “The worst- case scenario will be that they label us as ‘Taiwan, China.’”
Shih said during yesterday’s press conference that the CDC has so far only reported the first confirmed case because officials were waiting for the WHO’s decision on how to handle the issue of Taiwan’s name.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JIMMY CHUANG AND STAFF WRITER
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SHOW OF SUPPORT: Taiwan has been one of the largest buyers of US defense equipment, supporting American businesses and jobs, US lawmakers said Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, a US Department of State official said on Wednesday, adding that purchases of military equipment are important to the US economy and for ensuring regional security. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked at a news conference about comments by former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, who said during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay Washington for its defense needs. “The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,”
Hsu Wen-erh (許汶而) on Friday became the first Taiwanese to swim solo across the English Channel, saying she was very happy to bring Taiwan to the world. Hsu completed the challenge in 12 hours, 17 minutes and eight seconds, after swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar in October last year. She said she had planned to swim the English Channel in August next year, but seized the opportunity when a vacancy became available on the waiting list. She went to the UK in May to train for a test that involves swimming for six hours at 16°C, which people who want to swim