The US House of Representatives Policy Committee declared on Thursday that Taiwan must no longer be excluded from the WHO because "health should not be a political weapon."
Committee members voted unanimously at an executive session to approve the policy statement, which represents the official position of the House majority.
According to the statement, denying the people of Taiwan access to the health information, aid and emergency resources of the organization poses a "needless and grave threat" to Taiwan's society.
The statement noted that the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) makes it US policy to resist any "form of coercion" that would jeopardize "the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan."
Therefore, "in faithfulness to the TRA and the policies of every American president since Jimmy Carter, and with concern and compassion for the health of the millions of people of Taiwan, it is essential that the United States continue to support Taiwan's efforts to obtain observer status in the WHO," the statement added.
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO's annual general assembly, will meet in Geneva May 13 to 17, when "any member state may submit a proposal for observer status for Taiwan," the statement noted, adding that China's previous efforts to keep such proposals off the assembly agenda were in fact a violation to the organization's own rules of procedure.
Meanwhile, according to the local media, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has ordered the US delegation to the WHO to fully support Taiwan's bid.
In other developments on Thursday, Department of Health Director-General Lee Ming-liang (
Speaking in New York, Lee stressed that the bid is "a humble humanitarian quest, not a political scheme."
"The fact that Palestine, the Holy See, Liechtenstein, the Sovereign and Military Order of Malta and the International Red Cross are observers of the WHA warrants a serious consideration of Taiwan's justification and application," he said.
"Vectors of disease recognize no national boundary," Lee added. "In the global efforts to prevent and control diseases, no single entity should be left out like a discriminated lone soul among a sea of multitudes. And yet, Taiwan is one such soul."
Lee has just wrapped up a visit to Washington to lobby for US support.
He noted that Taiwan has contributed over US$100 million since 1995 in technical and training assistance, medical aid and humanitarian assistance to some 80 countries and that The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation (慈濟公德會) offered manpower, relief funds, goods and cash donations of over US$1 million to New York City for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Taiwan has also given over US$17 million to Afghan relief efforts, Lee said.
However, he noted that Tai-wanese helping with the Afghan relief mission did so at their own risk, since they could not expect protection from any international organization or treaty.
"It's simply morally right to grant Taiwan due representation with observer status as a health entity at the WHA," Lee said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS