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TSU urges protest
over WHO listing
NAME CALLING: A WHO H7N9 virus update listing
Taiwan as part of China not only slighted the nation¡¦s sovereignty, but may hurt
tourism, a TSU official said
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday urged the government to immediately
lodge a protest with the WHO over its listing of Taiwan as part of China in the
health organization¡¦s update of H7N9 avian influenza cases.
¡§The practice was not surprising, as China has taken every opportunity to
squeeze Taiwan¡¦s international space and belittle Taiwan¡¦s sovereignty,¡¨ TSU
caucus whip Lin Shih-chia (ªL¥@¹Å) told a press conference.
The ramifications of being listed as part of China in this instance could be
devastating to Taiwan because it could suffer tremendous losses in tourism
revenue if it were to be declared an epidemic area as a result of being grouped
with China, Lin said, adding that Taiwan¡¦s participation in the WHO plenary
meeting next month could also be adversely affected.
The latest update of the H7N9 situation on the WHO¡¦s Western Pacific Region
Office (WPRO) Web page stated that a total of 126 cases of human infection have
been reported, including 125 from China and one from ¡§Taipei CDC (Centers for
Disease Control),¡¨ and a map on the page depicted Taiwan and Chinese provinces
with known cases in the same color.
A disclaimer next to the map said that the national boundaries and names shown
on the map, and the designation it used ¡§do not imply the expression of an
opinion whatsoever on the part of the WHO concerning legal status of any
country.¡¨
A question-and-answer page about the avian flu strain on the WHO¡¦s Web site also
referred to Taiwan as ¡§Taiwan, China.¡¨
Kelly Hsieh (ÁªZ¾ö), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¦
Department of International Organizations, and Hsu Ming-hui (³\©ú·u), director of
Department of Health¡¦s Bureau of International Cooperation, both said their
agencies had demanded the global agency make a correction as soon as they were
aware of it.
Updated maps posted after Monday no longer listed Taiwan as ¡§Taiwan, China,¡¨
Hsieh and Hsu said, adding that they would push for the WHO to make the
correction on all of its Web pages.
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