Do They really want to join the WHO?

Do They really want to join the WHO?
China Times editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
April 17, 2007

People on Taiwan long to join the World Health Organization and be readmitted to the United Nations and other international organizations. But if we treat these goals as election tools, if we allow campaign considerations to outweigh all else, if we ignore reality, these goals will become even more remote and even less attainable.

Our government's strategy for gaining access to World Health Organization (WHO) activities in the past was to tackle the easiest problems first, such as seeking World Health Assembly (WHA) observer status. The fight against disease affects the health and safety of people the world over, and infectious diseases know no national boundaries. The SARS experience showed that Taiwan is an indispensable part of the fight against infectious diseases. That is why Taiwan's request that it not be excluded from the global disease control network received the approval and support of the US, Japan, and the European Union.

But because the World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations, is impossible for the UN to make exceptions. The PRC has been blocking Taiwan with all their might. They say they have already shared information with Taiwan, that they have attended to the rights and interests of the people of Taiwan, and have indicated they are willing to allow Taiwan to join the PRC delegation. These declarations do not accord with the facts, and attempt to demote Taiwan. We find them unacceptable. Taiwan has tried for ten years, but has not been able to gain membership in either the WHO or the WHA.

Recently the Presidential Office announced that Taiwan has decided to change its strategy. In addition to past efforts to become a WHA observer and to seek meaningful participation in technical conferences, Chen Shui-bian will write directly to WHO Secretary General Margaret Chan, officially applying to become a member nation of the WHO using the name "Taiwan." This means adopting a high profile, refusing to enter through the back door, and knocking directly on the front door of the World Health Organization. But this strategy inspires only skepticism. To become a WHA observer is hard enough. One must negotiate the first hurdle before one can think about the second. Yet Chen wants to leapfrog all of them and be admitted immediately as an official member nation. Getting into the WHA is much less difficult than getting into the WHO. But years of trying have met only with failure. Yet Chen wants to attempt the far more difficult task of getting into the WHO? Does he really imagine this will be easier?

It is true that a skyscraper a thousand feet high starts on the ground floor. Maybe one day a completed building will miraculously appear, replete with a bronze plaque on its cornerstone. Maybe we ought to be more optimistic. Maybe a man's reach should exceed his grasp. But diplomacy and internal affairs are hardly the same thing. Not everything is up to the individual. Therefore one cannot indulge in wishful thinking. One must have a clear understanding of realpolitik. One must play one's cards right and adopt the most effective strategies for achieving one's goals.

The problem is, no matter where one looks, one can see no trump card that will enable us to join the WHA this year. Forget the WHO, for which the entry threshold is even higher. Everyone knows which cards Taiwan holds. Over the years, they have all been played, to absolutely no effect. What makes this year any different?

Not only is this year no different, it is probably even less advantageous to Taiwan's participation. Needless to say, the United Nations recognizes only the PRC. In 2005, the PRC and the WHO signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing that if experts from Taiwan wanted to participate in WHO conferences, they would have to use local names such as "Taipei" and "Kaohsiung." The name "Taiwan" would be changed to "Taiwan, China," clearly indicating that Taiwan is a part of a China. This framework has already limited Taiwan's participation in every way conceivable. One can hardly expect it to enable Taiwan to become an official member nation.

The US is the primary force ensuring Taiwan's security and helping Taiwan obtain more international maneuvering room. But it's time for a reality check. Have US Taiwan relations following the "One Country, Each Side" and the "Terminate the National Unification Council" controversies improved or worsened? Is the US more enthusiastic about supporting Taiwan's participation in international activities, or is it more apathetic?

Taiwan's demands for participation in the WHO have received a great deal of sympathy. The undeniable international reality however is that the mainland economy is rapidly growing, and entrepreneurs the world over are flocking to mainland China. No country is willing to cut itself off from the mainland Chinese market. The PRC leadership's "Great Nation Diplomacy" has had an impact. Under such circumstances, Taiwan can no longer count on receiving much international sympathy.

The Taiwan government has decided to pursue a more difficult goal, in a less advantageous environment, against a stronger rival, with less supportive allies. Its attitude may be admirably defiant, but its methods are wholly irrational. But returning to our original point, whether its methods can be considered reasonable depend on its goals. If truth be told, the target audience for this sort of political gesture is domestic consumption.

First they launched a campaign to "rectify" the names of state-owned enterprises. Then they trumpeted a campaign to join the WHO under the name of "Taiwan," followed in September by a campaign to join the United Nations using the name "Taiwan." When the year end election rolls around, they will illegally "link" the presidential election with a public referendum, possibly one to "rectify" the name of the nation. Applying the name "Taiwan" to any number of pipe dreams consolidates Pan Green support and intensifies ethnic polarization. As long as it contributes to election victories, whether one is able to join the WHO or the UN is beside the point.

Since the only reason for such political gestures is to win votes, the more sensational, the better. Regardless what strategy one adopts, one will never gain entry. So why not stage an extravaganza for domestic consumption? Whenever election time rolls around, the ruling DPP makes all kinds of empty promises and sets all kinds of impossible goals, knowing perfectly they can never be fulfilled.

You want to join the WHO? Fine. You want to be readmitted to to the United Nations? Even better. But don't forget, these are trial balloons floated by a government that knows everything about how to run an election campaign, but nothing about how to enhance public safety or reduce the rising suicide rate. All we can say about these proposals, is "Good luck with that."

Original Chinese below:

中時電子報
中國時報 　2007.04.17
是真想加入世衛？還是玩一場選舉操作的秀？
中時社論

加入世界衛生組織，和重返聯合國等國際官方組織一樣，都是台灣民眾長久以來的殷切願望。但如果把這些目標操作成選戰工具，勝選考量壓倒一切而不顧現實不計後果，卻可能讓全民期盼的目標更加遙不可及。

過去我國參與世衛組織（ＷＨＯ）的策略，是先從難度比較低的場域下手，尋求在世衛大會（ＷＨＡ）中以觀察員的身分出席。由於疾病衛生工作攸關全世界人民最基本的健康安全保障，而且傳染病無國界，加上ＳＡＲＳ的經驗顯示台灣也是防疫不可或缺的一環，因此台灣要求不被排除在全球防疫體系之外，得到了美國、日本及歐盟國家的認同與支持。

但是，由於世衛是聯合國的附屬組織，不可能有不同的政治立場。中共更是全力防堵台灣，還宣稱已經與台灣分享資訊及照顧台灣民眾權益，並表示願接納台灣加入中共代表團。這些說法既不是事實，更意圖矮化台灣，我們當然不可能接受。以致於台灣爭取了快十年，無論是世衛組織或世衛大會（ＷＨＡ），都還無法取得一席之地。

最近總統府宣布，台灣決定改變策略。除了以往申請成為世衛大會觀察員、尋求有意義地參與技術性會議之外，這回更直接由陳水扁致函世衛秘書長陳馮富珍，要求以台灣名義正式申請成為ＷＨＯ的會員國。這顯然是拉高了調門，不走迂迴之道，直接向世衛組織叩門。不過，這個新策略卻令人疑惑。要成為世衛大會的觀察員已經不容易了，起碼要第一關過了才談得到挑戰第二關，現在卻要一躍而直取更敏感更困難的正式會員國。難度比較低的試了幾年都做不到，索性選擇更難的目標下手？這樣會比較容易達成嗎？

當然，萬丈高樓平地起，一步一腳印，也許終有一天金石為開。而且換個樂觀的角度看，取法乎中，僅得乎下，說不定取法乎上，萬一運氣好，還可以得乎中呢。不過，外交和內政不一樣，樣樣事情不能操之在我，所以不能一廂情願，必須精確掌握國際現實，妥善運用有效籌碼，採取最能達成目標的策略。

問題是，左看右看，實在看不出台灣最近新添了什麼有力的籌碼或管道，足以增加我們今年躋身世衛大會的機會，更別提難度更高的成為世衛組織會員國了。台灣的籌碼有多少，大家都很清楚，這些年來能用的都用上了，沒效的也還是沒效，今年情況會有什麼不同嗎？

坦白說，不但沒有不同，而且還對台灣的參與更加不利。聯合國只承認中共的基本政策就不要說了，二○○五年中共和世衛更簽署了諒解備忘錄，約定如果台灣專家要參與ＷＨＯ的會議，必須以台北、高雄等地區名稱申請，台灣名稱將變成「Taiwan,China」，亦即台灣是中國的一部分。這種不利的框架，已經限制了台灣任何可能的參與地位，更何況是於成為正式會員國。

其次，美國是保護台灣安全與協助台灣國際空間的主要助力，但回顧現實，美國與台灣的關係，在選舉操作的「一邊一國」、「終統」風波之後，是變得比較好還是比較壞？美國對支持台灣參與國際活動是比較熱中、還是已經意興闌珊？

過去台灣參與世衛的訴求，得到了不少國家的同情。然而，另一個不能否認的國際現實是，大陸經濟迅速崛起，全球商人紛紛往中國跑，沒有國家願意自絕於中國市場，而且中共領導人的「大國外交」也收到了相當成效。在這種情況下，台灣恐怕更不能指望得到足夠的國際同情。所以基本上，台灣政府是在現實環境更不利、敵人更強、盟友關係破裂的情況下，決定追求更困難的目標，儘管頗有挑戰精神，卻似乎不是一個合理的作法。不過，話說回來，合不合理，要看真正的目的到底是什麼。

說穿了，這還是供內部消費用的政治動作。之前已經搞了一連串的國營事業正名，然後大聲說要以「台灣」名義加入世衛，九月再更大聲說要以「台灣」名義加入聯合國，年底選舉時再祭出「公投綁大選」，甚至公投看要不要國家也正名一下。用與「台灣」之名有關的各種美麗夢想，凝聚綠色選舉，激化族群對立，只要對勝選有用就夠了，到底能不能加入世衛或聯合國，其實不是重點。

既然只是做做樣子來催票，當然動作愈誇張愈好。無論採取什麼策略，反正也是不得其門而入，那麼索性更加用力地敲鑼打鼓做業績給國內看。就像一到選舉時就漫天亂開的支票，有口無心，明知難之又難，仍然拚命講些不切實際的漂亮話。

加入世衛，很好；重返聯合國，更好。不過別忘了，這是出自一個擅長選舉、但連改善治安解決自殺問題都做不到的政府。有些支票，我們只能說樂觀其成了。