Mother feeling excluded
May 14 was Mother’s Day and the worldwide Taiwanese shared with the same feeling, they all worry about their common mother Taiwan likely exclusion from World Health Assembly (WHA) this year.
On May 9, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) tweeted a message “recognize the fact that Taiwan is an integral part of the global disease prevention system and that the 23 million people of Taiwan have an inalienable right to equal treatment in health. Health is a human right, and disease prevention transcends national borders. Measures to exclude or even suppress Taiwan in the WHA contravene the very founding principles of the WHO. They are also unfair to the people of Taiwan and have negative implication on global health and disease prevention,” criticizing the WHO.
On May 12, Timothy Armstrong, the head of World Health Organization (WHO) governing bodies said is because of “the absence of a cross-strait understanding.”
A cross-strait understanding is absent, what is it? Why is a cross-strait understanding matter to issue an invitation to Taiwan? It sounds like the WHA hosted by Beijing and WHO run by China. Well, what kind of understanding is expected by China and Taiwan? Are they the same expectation? What is possible?
WHO sent invitation to Chinese Taipei in the past eight years with the understanding of “one China” principle, the WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍) recalled it last year under the UN2758 Resolution. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) said the 1992 consensus which recognizes the existence of “one China” principle with differing interpretations was a requirement for Taiwan’s participation. So, it would be possible if Tsai accept the 1992 consensus.
Yes, in former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration he locked Taiwan under the Republic of China (ROC) into “one China” system. His personal belief China is the motherland of Taiwan and Taiwan is still part of China. He took China as a steppingstone for Taiwan to enter the world. Even he always bragged of the 1992 consensus means “one China with different interpretations,” but when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in person he only kowtowed to “one China” but without different interpretation at all.
Well, that’s a typical pro-China belief of Ma in his whole life but Tsai is totally different. She rejected it from the first moment in power at inauguration. Tsai said there was a 1992 meeting without consensus and the “status quo” of cross-strait Taiwan is not part of China. She denied the so-called 1992 Consensus, rejected Chinese Taipei and requested the diplomatic allies urge Chan to propose the issue of inviting Taiwan to participate the WHA as an observer be included in the meeting agenda.
Bravo, that’s the other way of possible for Taiwan to attend the WHA or even the other international community once Taiwan walks out the China trap. It has been a while that a Taiwan’s leader has gut, officially represents Taiwan to say “no” to China. Yes, Taiwan is not part of China, not Chinese Taipei, not ROC they are clearly written in the Taiwan Relations Act since Jan. 1, 1979. Why did not the past elected presidents tell us the truth? They did not know at all or they lied us?
As long as the national identity problem is resolved, people have known who is the enemy, difference between inside and outside, then all the rest problem, I believe can be easily solved. Chen held ROC tightly and closely to Taiwan, and pledged “ROC is Taiwan”. But, he admitted the community needs to reach a general consensus of national identity first then the government can take in action. Now, more than eighty percent of inhabitants identify themselves as Taiwanese, all the allies recognize only Taiwan, are we idiots repeated to name ourselves ROC or Chinese Taipei, they are not even accepted by China? What are we waiting for?
The four years term of presidency will be soon over, whoever elected by as president should provide their best effort to serve the nation. Tsai as a president elected by Taiwan voters her most important mission should be empowering Taiwan people to stick their guns being proud of as a Taiwanese of Taiwan, rather than a Chinese of ROC or Chinese Taipei. We appreciate what she has done so far to identify Taiwan as Taiwan in application the attendance of WHA this year even we could fail.
Indeed, it is ridiculous that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) strongly tied Taiwan with China and all candidates of the party’s next chairperson commit to the 1992 Consensus and accept Taiwan is part of China. So, there are not much time left for Tsai to rectify Taiwan’s legal status in the world, hopefully she can frankly inform Taiwan people the truth of Taiwan “status quo”: There is only “one China,” it is legitimately represented by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) today, but Taiwan is not part of China, neither ROC nor PRC.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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