(Geneva, 14 January 2002)
Madam Chair,
Thank you for giving me
the floor. Its my firm belief that under your
outstanding leadership, the 109th session of the Executive
Board will be a success.
Madam Chair, Honorable
Ministers and Distinguished Delegates,
As we
may recall that, each year from 1997 to 2001, the World
Health Assembly (WHA) considered the proposal of so-called
Inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an
observer . And each year the proposal was rejected and
thus the attempt to include the proposal into the agenda of
the WHA ended up in failure. Logically, such a farce should
have already come to an end. However, the Taiwan authorities
and those few countries do not want to give up. Today for
the first time, the farce is performed on the stage of the
Executive Board. This is really a misfortune for the WHO.
The Chinese delegation can not but express its regret over
this new development.
Madam
Chair,
On the Taiwan-related proposal, the
position of the Chinese Government is firm, clear and
consistent. That is, the Chinese Government resolutely
rejects the proposal of inviting Taiwan to participate in
the WHA as an observer and opposes the inclusion of the
proposal as an item into the provisional agenda of the
WHA.
At the instigation of the Taiwan
authorities, some countries which have the so-called
diplomatic relations with Taiwan, have raised
this proposal time and again. The real intention of the
Taiwan authorities is to split Taiwan from China and to
create two Chinas or one China, one
Taiwan in the international arena. The proposal has
nothing to do at all with concern for the health of the
Taiwan people.
Madam
Chair,
WHO is a UN specialized agency and only
sovereign States are eligible for its membership. Taiwan, as
a province of China, has no qualification whatsoever to
participate in the WHA. Should the Executive Board include
the Taiwan-related proposal into the provisional agenda, it
would constitute a violation of the relevant resolutions
adopted by both the UN General Assembly and the WHA. The UN
General Assembly, through Resolution 2758, explicitly
decides, I quote, to recognize the representatives of
the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as the
only legitimate representatives of China to the United
Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of
Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy
at the United Nations and in all the organizations related
to it, end of quote. Accordingly, the WHA, through
Resolution WHA25.1, decides, I quote, to recognize the
representatives of the Government of the Peoples
Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of
China to the World Health Organization, and to expel
forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the
place which they unlawfully occupy at the World Health
Organization, end of quote. It is exactly based on the
above-mentioned resolutions that the WHA has rejected, for 5
times since 1997, the proposal of the so-called
Inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an
observer.
According to the Constitution
of the WHO, the WHA is the supreme organ of the WHO. Article
28 of the Constitution stipulates that the Executive Board
shall give effect to the decisions and policies of the WHA
and act as the executive organ of the WHA. Obviously, the
Executive Board has the obligation to abide by the above
decisions. The Executive Board therefore has no competence
at all either to consider or to include the Taiwan-related
proposal into the provisional agenda of the WHA, let alone
making any decision in violation of the resolutions and
other related decisions of the UNGA and the
WHA.
Madam Chair,
Here I wish to
clarify two points. Firstly, the Taiwan authorities and some
countries claim that Taiwan has no access to the information
of the WHO because it is excluded from the activities of the
WHO. This is not true. The fact is that Taiwan province has
access to the information of the WHO. The Central Government
of China has always attached great importance to the health
and well-being of Taiwan compatriots and has actively
promoted exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits
in the field of health. Secondly, WHO is not WTO. WHO is a
UN specialized agency and WTO is not. Taiwan became a member
of the WTO on the 1st of January this year. But please note
that Taiwan is admitted in the WTO with the status of
Chinese Taipei separate customs territory but
not as a sovereign State.
Madam
Chair,
Respect for State sovereignty and
territorial integrity and non-interference in each
others internal affairs are fundamental principles
enshrined in the UN Charter. There is only one China in the
world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The
Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the
sole legitimate government representing the entire people of
China. These are the basic facts universally recognized by
the international community. The Taiwan question is purely
an internal affair of China and should only be resolved by
the Chinese people themselves. No foreign country has the
right to meddle or interfere in. To raise a proposal on
Taiwans participation in the WHO, under whatever
pretext or in whatever form, is an act of infringement upon
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and an
act of interference in the internal affairs of
China.
Madam Chair,
I am aware
that there is a lot of work for this session of the
Executive Board I also note that many members and delegates
present are health experts. Many have come all this distance
for the discussion of health-related issues. These issues
are very important for the world people. The Taiwan-related
proposal is not a relevant issue. It distracts our work and
unnecessarily generates political confrontation among WHO
Members. This is a situation China does not want to see, nor
do you, Madam Chair, and the majority of the members. WHO is
a specialized and highly technical agency and should not be
distracted by political issues. This should be our common
understanding.
The Chinese Government requests
WHO to strictly adhere to the principle of respecting State
sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN
Charter, and abide by the UNGA and the WHA resolutions. The
Chinese delegation urges the Executive Board to make a
decision not to consider the Taiwan-related proposal so as
to avoid the unfortunate disturbance.
Madam
Chair,
For those countries who are really
concerned about health of our Taiwan compatriots, they
should encourage instead of discourage the unification of
China. The ways, which are being proposed, will certainly
tantamount to split China, to create one China and one
Taiwan. Just as well put by the distinguished delegate
from the Comoros and Congo. We hope that this session with a
quick settlement of this issue can proceed with its normal
usual work.
Thank you, Madam Chair.