[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            A TRIBUTE TO TAIWANESE PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2007

  Mr. TANCREDO. Madam Speaker, Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian recently 
announced that his country plans to pursue full membership in the World 
Health Organization. I wish President Chen and the 23 million people of 
Taiwan the best of luck in this endeavor, and I hope that all Americans 
will support their effort.
  Taiwan has a modern, world-class health care system and has lent its 
talents and resources in the field to people around the world. Taiwan's 
expertise and contributions to world health are particularly important 
at this time when people, products, and threats to health and safety 
can travel great distances in relatively short periods of time.
  The WHO's mission is ``. . . the attainment by all peoples of the 
highest possible level of health.'' Providing accurate information 
about the spread of health threats is a critical part of that mission.
  Last year, however, the WHO disseminated an inaccurate map which 
classified Taiwan as an area affected with human cases of the bird 
flu--even though no cases had been documented on the island. 
Unfortunately, because the WHO--like many organizations pretends that 
Taiwan is a part of China, the WHO depicted Taiwan as an ``infected 
area'' because there had been an avian flu outbreak on the Chinese 
mainland. This is not only unfair, it is dangerous.
  Madam Speaker, I am sure that the intent of the WHO is not to 
knowingly disseminate false information about such a dangerous health 
threat--yet because of Chinese pressure to exclude Taiwan from this 
body, that is exactly what happened. And unfortunately, unless the 
problem of Taiwan's exclusion from this body is remedied, this could 
easily happen again.
  When China and the WHO play politics with people's health, it isn't 
just dangerous for Taiwan, it is ``bad medicine'' for the whole world. 
I hope that the Administration recognizes this fact, and I hope they 
will actively support Taiwan's bid for full membership in this world 
body.

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