Taiwan is willing to cooperate with China in containing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), but politically motivated attempts by China to downgrade Taiwan's national status are not welcome, a government official reiterated yesterday.
Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tung (陳明通) made the remarks at a weekly news conference.
Commenting on an international meeting on the prevention of SARS to be jointly sponsored by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 20 to 21, Chen said the Chinese side has yet to respond to Taiwan's initiatives, although the council has sent invitations to China specialists to take part.
Johnnason Liu (劉德勳), also a vice chairman of the council, Taiwan's highest policy-planning agency, said in a public speech the same day that Taiwan's "zero death, zero cross-border transmissions and zero community infection" performance in containing the epidemic can be seen as a benchmark achievement among Chinese people around the world that has helped Taiwan gain a positive image on the world stage.
However, Liu pointed out that Taiwan and China have yet to set up a joint-cooperative mechanism to fight SARS, because a large number of Taiwan businessmen are operating in China.
For the time being, only two people from Taiwan -- a China-based businessman and his wife -- have been found to have contracted SARS in China.
As their conditions remain stable after being treated by a Chinese hospital, they have not requested to return to Taiwan, he noted.
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