Taiwan is farther from the WHO than ever

Taiwan is farther from the WHO than ever
China Times editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
May 16, 2007

The Chen administration seeks membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) under the name of "Taiwan." This year it adopted a more aggressive posture than ever. The result was a bigger setback than ever. Not only did the US, Japan, and European Union cast nay ballots, seven nations which recognize the Republic of China (ROC) as the legitimate government of China, switched their votes. The Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, who meets annually with our delegation as a matter of routine, not only held a press conference publicly declaring that the US does not support Taiwan's entry, he went to the unprecedented length of refusing to meet with our delegation. Not only were the Chen administration's efforts to gain membership in the WHO frustrated once more, the treatment it received this year was even worse than in years past. The ruling regime's handiwork was a negative example of the Chinese addage, "If you eat too fast, you'll break your bowl." Is anything is worse than incompetent leaders bringing disaster down upon their nations?

Based on campaign considerations, the Chen regime has chosen to fight a "Rectification of Names" war, first domestically, then internationally. This year the Chen regime once again demanded the right to attend the 14th WHA as an observer. Adopting an aggressive posture, and with much fanfare, it declared that it intended to apply for membership in the WHO under the name "Taiwan." Chen Shui-bian even sent a letter to the Secretary General of the WHO expressing this desire.

The Chen regime was not even able to gain membership in the WHA as an observer under the name of the "Republic of China." What chance does it have of gaining membership in the WHO under the name of "Taiwan?" And yet the Chen administration has chosen to undertake this Impossible Mission. Anyone with an eye can see that this is a political gesture intended for domestic consumption. First, it makes a great show of demanding the "Rectification of Names" and admission to the WHO on the international stage. It takes advantage of the opportunity to spin the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as the guardian of "Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity." Then when it encounters the inevitable setbacks, it incites hatred against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and alleged "foreign political authorities" (i.e., the Kuomintang, or KMT), transforming this hatred into votes for DPP candidates. Since such gestures are focused entirely on internal concerns, they naturally neglect external constraints.

Less adept at foreign diplomacy than at domestic partisan infighting, most variables are not under the Chen regime's control. Under pressure from Beijing, finding itself at an international disadvantage. With limited chips to play, it has no way of controlling the battlefield. The reasonable approach would be to acknowledge reality and adopt the most pragmatic strategy for survival. The Chen administration's behavior runs completely counter to this. The reality is that mainland China's international stature is rapidly rising. Its ability to undermine Taipei's diplomacy is rapidly growing. The US is mired in the Iraqi war, and is unwilling to get into a conflict with Beijing in the Taiwan Straits. Chen Shui-bian's political gestures in recent years have repeatedly crossed a line in the sand. From his "One Country, Each Side" to his "Rectification of Names" to his "Abolition of the National Unification Council" to his recent "Four Demands." Not only has he not valued the mutual confidence established over the years with the US, neither has he considered the standpoint of allied nations, leaving the US with the feeling that its goodwill has been abused. Worse still, Taiwan has come to be regarded as a troublemaker responsible for the undermining of Asian-Pacific security. The US has been compelled to establish a total exclusion zone and collaborate with Beijing on "managing" the Taiwan problem. Any reckless actions by the Chen administration that do not consider international reality, will be subjected to even more severe constraints than before, to avoid making trouble for the US.

Chen Shui-bian's myopic quest for short term advantage in cross-Straits policy and international diplomacy over the past seven years has not improved the ROC's international standing or created new "living room." It has merely set back the ROC and impugned its dignity. Grey areas in which the ROC still had some wiggle room, have now been preemptively defined by the US as forbidden zones, diminishing the ROC's room to maneuver. Participation in the WHO is particularly so, because it involves public health and global disease prevention.
Past demands for Taiwan's participation in the WHO received more international sympathy than demands to join the United Nations. The US, Japan, and European Union repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan's participation in WHO activities. But this year, when Chen adopted an aggressive posture, and shrilly declared our intention to join the WHO using the name "Taiwan," the US, Japan, and European Union cast nay votes at the WHA convention. They could have abstained, but instead they chose to cast nay votes, leaving an official record and setting the tone for future policy decisions. This severely impacts Taiwan, and erects unprecedented roadblocks in the way of future efforts to join the WHO.

Taiwan's suddenly aggressive posture, on top of a string of diplomatic provocations, not only wore out our allies' patience and goodwill, it pushed allies who sympathized with Taiwan to stand on the same battleline with Beijing. More serious is the fact that the international community has gradually established a consensus that working with Beijing to rein in the Taiwan independence movement is a choice they must make to maintain regional stability. The international breathing space acquired with such difficulty over the years has been gambled away in a reckless roll of the dice. Taiwan's opportunities for the future have also withered on the vine, with nothing to show for the sacrifice. What kind of stupid foreign policy is this? Knowing perfectly well that the ROC would be seriously harmed, the Chen regime nevertheless shoved Taiwan into the arena to be slaughtered. What is the point of gestures such as this? "If you eat too fast, you'll break your bowl." The harm inflicted upon the ROC by the Chen regime far exceeds any harm inflicted upon the ROC by the Chinese Communist Party.

When WHO members voted at their annual meeting this year, seven allies switched their votes. This is of course is Beijing's doing.
In the cross-Straits tug of war, the WHO vote battle and the UN General Assembly vote battle are the ones that hold the most potential for gains. Seven members switching their votes, including important Central America allies, demonstrates Beijing's increased influence over these nations. This is a danger signal for ROC diplomacy.

Judging from our setback in the WHO vote, the ROC is not running in place, it is moving backwards. We are even farther from the front door of the WHO than we were when we started. Beijing's pressure is of course unforgivable. But the Chen regime should also apologize to the people for its reckless errors in policy, which have seriously harmed the nation's interests.

Original Chinese below:

中時電子報
中國時報 　2007.05.16
台灣與世衛的距離更遠了
中時社論

我國尋求參與世界衛生組織（ＷＨＯ），今年姿態拉到前所未有地高，結果挫敗竟是前所未有地大。不只美、日、歐盟都投下了反對票，更有七個友邦跑票。每年都例行性與我國代表團晤面的美國衛生部長，不僅開記者會公開表態不支持台灣入會，更罕見地拒絕與代表團晤面。可以說，台灣今年爭取參與世衛的努力，不僅是再度挫敗，而且還比往年所受的待遇更行倒退。執政當局的操作，完全是一場「呷緊弄破碗」的錯誤示範。昏庸誤國，莫此為甚！

在選戰策略考量下，台灣政府最近一再強打「正名」之戰，戰場更從國內打到國際。對於十四日召開的世衛大會（ＷＨＡ），我國除再度要求以觀察員身分出席，今年更大張旗鼓地拉高姿態，宣示要以台灣名義申請加入世衛組織，陳水扁也去函世衛秘書長表達意願。

想也知道，沒有任何理由，能讓人相信過去連ＷＨＡ觀察員都當不成，改以台灣名義尋求加入ＷＨＯ會有任何機會，但政府還是決定向更高難度的目標挑戰。明眼人都看得出來，這是一個供內部消費的政治操作。先在國際舞台上大玩台灣正名、入會的動作，藉此讓民進黨成為捍衛台灣主權尊嚴的代言人。待遭到必然的衝突與挫折後，再激化台灣內部對中共及「外來政權」的仇視，轉而成為支持民進黨候選人的選票。這樣的操作，既是一心著眼於內部，當然就完全無視外在環境的制約。

對外關係終究不比內政，大部分變數不能操之在我，遭受中共打壓、處於國際劣勢的台灣，尤其籌碼有限，沒辦法主控局面。最合理的作法，應是認清現實抓準趨勢，選擇最務實有效的生存策略，偏偏陳水扁政府的作為是完全逆勢操作。國際現實是中國迅速崛起，挖台灣外交牆腳的籌碼大增；美國則陷於伊戰泥沼，不願在台海與中共發生衝突。相對的近年來陳水扁的操作卻是不斷在兩岸關係上踩紅線，從「一邊一國」、「正名」、「終統」到最近喊出「四要」，不僅毫不珍惜台美長期建立的友好互信，也未曾替盟邦的立場考慮，以致讓美方有善意遭到濫用甚至利用之感。更糟的是，台灣因此被視為破壞亞太安全的麻煩製造者，美國索性主動設定封鎖區，與中共聯手「管理」台灣問題。台灣任何不顧國際現實的冒進舉動，都會遭到比過去更嚴厲的箝制，以免給美國惹出更大麻煩。

回顧過去七年，陳水扁多次在兩岸及外交上短視近利的躁進政策，不但沒有改善台灣的國際地位、開拓更多生存空間，反而讓台灣的處境更為倒退，國家尊嚴受到諸多不必要的折損。原本可以讓台灣稍許迴旋的模糊地帶，已經被美國預防性地畫為禁區，平白喪失了重要的活動空間。世衛的參與尤其是如此，由於涉及民眾健康與全球防疫，過去台灣參與世衛的訴求一直比加入聯合國更能得到國際同情，美、日、歐盟也多次表達支持台灣參與世衛活動的態度。但是今年當我們拉高姿態，宣布要以台灣名義加入世衛後，這次ＷＨＡ大會上，美、日、歐盟竟然全部投下反對票，他們原本可以不表態的，但卻決定在表決時立下反對紀錄，成為各國將來的政策基調。這不僅對台灣是一記重擊，更會為台灣日後的入會努力設下前所未有的高聳路障。

台灣這次突兀的拉高姿態，加上之前一連串地的外交挑釁，不僅把盟友的善意與耐心耗損殆盡，更將許多對台灣同情的友邦被推向與北京站在同一陣線。更嚴重的是，國際社會已逐漸建立一種共識，認為配合中共壓抑台灣的台獨動作，是維護區域安定必須做的選擇。多年來好不容易開拓出來的國際空間，這下等於自己全部倒賠回去；台灣將來可能的機會與空間，也毫無代價地萎縮流失，這是怎樣愚蠢錯誤的外交政策？明知台灣會嚴重受傷，還是把台灣推到國際間遭受宰割，如此的操作的意義究竟在哪裡？「呷緊弄破碗」對國家生存的傷害，甚至超過了中共片面打壓所能做到的程度。

這次的年會在表決時，我們還有七個友邦跑票，這當然又是中共搞的鬼。兩岸的友邦拉鋸戰，最派得上用場的，就是在世衛大會和聯合國大會上的表決攻防發揮作用。如今跑了七票，其中還不乏中美洲重要友邦，顯示中共對這些國家的影響力增加，這更是台灣外交的一大警訊。

從我們向ＷＨＯ出發，到現在的表決挫敗，台灣的處境根本不是在原地踏步，而是一路往後倒退，甚至如今離世衛之門比出發時還遠。而釀成這一切，北京的打壓當然不可原諒，但執政當局也該為決策的錯誤與冒進，導致國家利益受到嚴重傷害，向全民道聲歉吧！