Another Failure for Taiwanese Separatists

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Another Failure for Taiwanese Separatists

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The Taiwanese authorities have again crashed to earth after their failure to gain World Health Organization (WHO) observer status, demonstrating that any attempt by the island to clutch at de facto independence will be destined to fail.

At the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, the world health body once again refused to list on its agenda a resolution sponsored by a few countries guaranteeing Taiwan an observer position.

It was the seventh time that the Taiwanese authorities had been knocked back by the WHO, which only offers membership to sovereign countries.

The failure also shows the organization's basic principle cannot be violated by a handful of countries and people.

The latest loss will undoubtedly deal Taiwanese authorities a heavier blow given they regarded the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak on the island as a rare opportunity for a membership bid.

During the latest attempt to become a member, the Taiwanese authorities were working hard to garner international support by using the SARS epidemic on the island as leverage.

They said the island could only effectively enjoy the WHO's technical and material resources to better deal with SARS if they were an organization member.

That is an out-and-out lie.

It is well-known that since the outbreak of SARS in Taiwan Province, the mainland has continually shown extreme concern about the health situation on the island.

Becoming the first victim of the killer disease, the mainland has accumulated a wealth of precious experience in countering SARS.

It has also expressed on many occasions its willingness to share material and technical resources to contain the disease with Taiwan.

To halt SARS as soon as possible, the mainland has taken a series of measures to facilitate cross-Straits communications in this field.

The joint efforts made by both sides' medical circles will inevitably help them achieve an earlier victory over the epidemic.

The mainland also gave the WHO's medical experts approval to visit the island.

It expressed its agreement on the attendance of the island's medical experts at the forthcoming SARS-related global scientific meeting, which is being convened by the WHO next month.

Any unbiased person can see that Taiwan has an unblocked accession to the technical and material resources of the mainland and the WHO.

If the Taiwanese authorities indeed care about the welfare of the island's people, they should drop all political prejudice and conflict with the mainland and band together to kill the disease as soon as possible.

Despite their gestures, WHO membership is not the real goal for a handful of separatist forces.

Their ultimate intent is to enter the United Nations and separate the island from the rest of China.

However, the Taiwanese authorities have miscalculated.

As part of Chinese territory, it is illogical and completely impossible for Taiwan to try and enter international organizations that only offer sovereign countries membership.

At a critical time when the world should unite to contain the rampant SARS disease, it is unwise for the Taiwanese authorities to stand on their political soapbox.

Such moves will not only create contempt among Chinese residents on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, but they will be futile. (China Daily News)

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