Taipei, March 29 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday that health, medical care and disease control know no boundaries and claimed that "people's diplomacy" is something that cannot be blocked by political power.
Chen urged the international community to pay attention to what he described as "this trend of world development."
Chen made the remarks during a meeting with Lee W. Graber, president of the World Federation of Orthodontists.
Chen noted that Taiwan was excluded when an organization for orthodontists in the Asia-Pacific region was established in 2000 in Tokyo, but pointed out that the people of Taiwan are still involved in various international activities.
According to Chen, academic exchanges should be benevolent, disinterested and foresighted. There should not be barriers between different races and nationalities in the medical field, he added.
Chen said ideological and political considerations should not be allowed to limit academic exchanges or it will go against the spirit of the global village and hinder the progress of the international community.