[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 24, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TAIWAN'S INCLUSION IN THE WHO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 24, 2003

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of 
Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization (WHO). Time and time 
again Taiwan has been thwarted from joining this international 
organization solely because of objections from the People's Republic of 
China. Most recently this occurred in May at the World Health Assembly 
in Geneva; even after Congress passed legislation (P.L. 108-028) 
authorizing the U.S. Government to implement a plan for Taiwan to 
obtain observer status and Secretary of Health Human Services Tommy 
Thompson publicly and firmly expressed U.S. support for Taiwan's 
inclusion in the WHO.
  The recent SARS outbreak in Asia has made it very clear how important 
it is to allow Taiwan to participate in the WHO. While the People's 
Republic of China was suppressing information and statistics about the 
disease and covering up its scope, Taiwan, on the other hand, was 
reporting freely and accurately on SARS. It immediately offered to work 
with the WHO yet was denied; only later were two WHO experts dispatched 
to Taiwan. In addition, Beijing was quite unhelpful in alerting the WHO 
and neighboring countries as to when and where this outbreak originated 
causing additional infections and deaths.
  We all have a responsibility to assist the WHO and inform the world 
when it comes to global health. For too long, however, Taiwan has not 
been given this opportunity because of political motivations. It is now 
time to allow Taiwan to join the WHO or at least allow it to obtain 
observer status. With the threat of outbreaks such as SARS sweeping 
across continents and infecting thousands, it is not only absurd but 
also immoral to keep the 23 million Taiwanese citizens from receiving 
its assistance. Taiwan, and the world for that matter, will be far 
better protected when it finally obtains WHO membership.

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