As a European who has experienced -- and supported -- the European integration process from the 1950s until the present, I must say that Professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) in his piece ("Integration offers a Strait solution," Jan. 18, page 8) misses some important points and therefore draws the wrong conclusions.
The first important point is that European integration started from a position of full sovereignty of all the partners. All of the nations constituting the EU are fully-recognized nation states with membership in the UN. Such a position of equality is essential if there is to be a fair and equitable process.
The second important point is that the European nations are not giving up their sovereignty in the process, but are sharing resources, harmonizing policies, and reducing barriers to the efficient flow of people and goods. This works well if the partners are (more or less) equal in size. A third point is that in the European integration process, there is special attention for the rights of smaller partners and minorities. Nations like The Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal can be sure that their rights and interests are protected.
On all three points, any "balance" between China and Taiwan is sadly lacking. One, China does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, because, two, China's population is some 52 times Taiwan's, and because Taiwan's per capita income is approximately 25 times that of China, any reduction of the barriers along European lines would immediately result in a total flooding of Taiwan by China's hungry and poor masses. Three, China doesn't pay any attention to smaller partners and minorities, as witnessed by the repression in Tibet and Turkestan. Could Taiwan expect to fare any better?
Proposing the European experience as a model for any "integration" between Taiwan and China is thus shortsighted and misguided. Taiwan would do well to gain international recognition as a full and equal member of the international community first. Only if and when that is accepted -- by China, the US and other nations in the UN -- could one even start to think about anything like a fair and equitable integration process.
Gerrit van der Wees
The Netherlands
Protect HIV-carriers' rights
The local Chinese media reported that two Taipei City employees, one of them a police officer, were fired from their jobs because they were diagnosed as being HIV positive. This is a flagrant violation of their right to employment.
In this day and age, it is truly sad to learn that some members of our society are still so ignorant about the basics of HIV. Sadly, these people do not come in small numbers. Many here in Taiwan do not seem to realize that the HIV virus is contracted through sexual intercourse (heterosexual as well as homosexual, so don't blame the gay community), the use of unsterilized needles (therefore, drug users constitute a high risk group), and other blood-to-blood or blood-to-body-fluid contact. You do not contract the deadly disease by daily casual contact. So, it is perfectly fine to hug, shake hands and carry on other normal activities with HIV patients. This means of course that those who have contracted AIDS should be perfectly capable of performing regular work before their health deteriorates beyond a certain point.
The health condition of the two employees in question was revealed by the hospital contracted by the Taipei City Government to perform health checkups for city employees. The hospital argues that its contract with the city requires the hospital to reveal to the city the health condition of employees. The hospital cannot do this, however, without the employees' waiver of physician-patient privilege, despite any contract it has with the city. Let it be clear that the hospital and the physician(s) in question owe the duty to their patients, irrespective of who paid for the medical procedure or checkups.
Emma Welch
Taipei
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