Sat, Apr 30, 2005 page3

• Foreign minister criticizes Lien's trip

  CREATING PROBLEMS Mark Chen said that the KMT leader's jaunt to Beijing has complicated the nation's diplomatic efforts, including its bid to join the WHO

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
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  Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) said yesterday that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) trip to China has had a negative impact on the country's diplomacy, and voiced concern about Beijing's possible obstruction of Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Assembly (WHA) next month.

  China's passage of the "Anti-Secession" Law, which authorized Beijing to resort to "non-peaceful" means against Taiwan if it tries to move toward formal independence, brought Beijing criticism from the international community, the minister said in a press conference.

  However, by hosting Lien and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), Beijing has eased the international pressure it has been under since the law's passage, Chen said.

  Lien's trip to China "caused many problems" for Taiwan's diplomacy, the minister added.

  Chen said that as Taipei readies its ninth bid to join the WHA, the highest governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO), Beijing is exercising its diplomatic influence to force Taiwan to enter the health body as part of China.

  Speculation that Beijing is negotiating with the WHO Secretariat to include Taiwan in the WHA as part of China worries the minister, who stressed that Taiwan cannot join the WHO at the cost of damaging its sovereign national status.

  Media reports have said that China is preparing to show its "goodwill" to Taiwan in the WHA by welcoming Taipei's participation in the assembly as an observer under the name "Taiwan, China."

  "We will never accept the proposal," Chen said. "And we need to let our people know in advance why we cannot accept the proposal."

  Taiwan's continual efforts to enter the WHO over the years have touched many countries, Chen said.

  "We believe there is greater room for progress in our bid this year, though there might still be a long road to go before we actually join the WHO," he said.

  Last year, the WHA held a vote to decide whether to include Taiwan's bid on its agenda. Among the 25 "yes" votes, 23 were cast by the nation's diplomatic allies and the US and Japan cast the other two.

  The US and Japan's support for Taiwan may encourage other countries to follow their lead, Chen said.

  Assessing the international support for Taiwan's WHO bid, Chen said that if the WHA calls a vote on Taiwan's application to become an observer this year, the yes votes "will increase significantly."

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet decided whether to mobilize a vote in the assembly this year, Chen said.

  "But we are sure that if we decide to do so, the result will be better than last year's," he said.

  Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂), who is currently in Europe lobbying for Taiwan's bid, will attend the WHA in Geneva from May 16 to 25, Chen said.
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