Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (
Kau made the comment at the Legislature's Foreign and Overseas Compatriot's Affairs Committee in response to a question from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (
Kau said that since last year, the WHO has begun to allow the "meaningful participation" of countries which are not members of the WHO and that China has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the WHO to allow for Taiwan's participation in certain technical activities.
The vice minister said that the reason he remained conservative about Taiwan's chances was because of the frustration caused by failed applications over the last three years.
Even so, Kau said his ministry will continue to push for Taiwan to be granted observer status at the WHO.
He said that the foreign ministry is currently trying to get Taiwan invited to participate in bird flu prevention meetings slated to take place in Tokyo and Beijing later this month.
Deputy Director of the International Organization Department Daniel Liao (
Liao said that in previous years, Taiwan's diplomatic allies had made the proposal on Taiwan's behalf. However, this year none of Taiwan's diplomatic allies are members of the EB and therefore, the ministry is exploring other means of raising the issue.
If it proves impossible to make the bid at this month's EB meeting, Taiwan will try again at the World Health Assembly in May, Liao added.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
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