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Sick pandas could be scarier than 'dragon' missiles

A top health official yesterday suggested that Taiwan and China should sign an agreement to enhance cooperation in implementing prevention and control measures against communicable diseases that threaten national and even global security.

Center for Disease Control (CDC) director Steve Kuo (郭旭崧) made the suggestion at a forum held by the Foundation on International and Cross-Strait Studies.

"As the issue is an non-political subject, we hope that the governments of both sides can set aside political disputes and cooperate with each other," Kuo said.

The forum was called to discuss government reaction to outbreaks of epidemics. Participants agreed that states must face up to problems associated with epidemics as they are closely connected to national security.

"Diseases such as malaria, SARS, HIV/AIDS and avian flu are becoming matters of concern for an increasing number of people because they might lead to economic decline, social unrest and political disturbances," said Chang Chung-Yung (張中勇), professor at the Central Police University's department of security.

The participants focused attention on potential epidemics originating in China such as the outbreak associated with streptococcus suis in pigs in Sichuan Province and the avian flu in Guangdong Province.

While it is difficult to understand the extent of infection in China because of a lack of transparency, it is even harder to monitor areas that have not been monitored before, said Ho Mei-shang (何美鄉), an Academia Sinica biomedicine researcher.

With Taiwan's government pushing ahead with direct charter flights for passengers and opening the country to Chinese tourists, participants urged the government to beware transmission of disease via human traffic.

"A sick panda is more dangerous than a vigorous dragon," said Alexander Huang (黃介正), a former deputy chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council and now professor at Tamkang University's Institute of American Studies, likening China's missile threat to the mythical animal.

"While many countries might condemn Chinese behavior in attacking Taiwan with its missiles, few could speak for Taiwan if it were affected by epidemics from China and prevented from receiving help from international organizations because of China's political pressure," he said.
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