Taipei, May 15 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian thanked the European Union, Japan and the United States Thursday for their support for Taiwan's bid for observer status in the World Health Assembly (WHA) and appealed for greater global backing to help Taiwan enter the World Health Organization (WHO), the world's top health body.
Chen made the remarks during a meeting with Palmer Beasley, dean of the University of Texas, Houston, School of Public Health, who was in Taiwan to exchange views and opinions with the authorities on the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Claiming that Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO is a loophole in the international community's battle against the potentially deadly disease, Chen expressed his hope that Taiwan can be allowed to enter the WHO as soon as possible so that it can make greater contributions to the world. He also thanked the European Union, Japan and the United States for their boundless assistance in Taiwan's fight against SARS.
Pointing out that mainland China is the major stumbling block to Taiwan's participation in the WHO, Chen said Taiwan has been forced to stand alone in the fight against SARS and he made it clear that the mainland should be held responsible for the outbreak and subsequent global spread.
If Beijing is really as concerned as it claims to be about the SARS situation in Taiwan, it should stop boycotting Taiwan's efforts to become a WHO member, the president said, adding that SARS is an extremely severe challenge facing Taiwan and that a staunch team spirit is indispensable if the country is to overcome the disease.
For his part, Beasley made various proposals with regard to Taiwan's SARS campaign and said that the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deeply appreciate the assistance that Taiwan has extended amid the global SARS spread.
He noted that two top experts from the medical center of the University of Texas, Houston, will travel to Taiwan this weekend at his invitation to help with the island's SARS fight.