14 May 2004
On the eve of the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva, a public opinion survey commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed the attitudes of the Taiwanese people towards the government's campaign to join the WHO. It revealed that the public's determination to continue the campaign, its dissatisfaction with the obstructionist activities of China, and the overriding need to preserve national dignity.
According to the poll, when citizens were asked to rank their foreign policy priorities, achieving an equal status and proper dignity in the international community was ranked as the most important item, with fully 89.1% of the people expressing support for this proposition. The next three items, in order of importance, were strengthening our relations with the US and Japan, promoting Taiwan's entry into international organizations, and increasing the number of countries which formally recognize our country.
Turning to the issue of Taiwan's participation in the WHO, the poll found that an equally overwhelming majority (89.4%) of the people support Taiwan's efforts to join the WHO. Furthermore, over 80% agreed not only that the China efforts to block Taiwan's participation in the WHO are unreasonable, but also that the government should continue its campaign next year, regardless of the outcome at this year's WHA. Note: further details of the poll are contained in the Summary Results below.
The devastating impact of last year's SARS epidemic has left a lasting impression on many people in Taiwan. Our government's efforts to control the disease were hampered by our inability to receive first-hand information, because Taiwan has not been included in the WHO's global networks of information and disease control. In fact, these information gaps caused needless additional deaths. This bitter truth should be recognized by the world, and China should stop depriving the Taiwanese people of their rights to life and health for its political considerations.
Unfortunately, China continues to spare no effort to politically suppress Taiwan. Even Taiwan's humble request to be merely an observer in the WHO is strongly opposed by Beijing. The fact that many WHO member states prefer to go along with this double standard, rather than stand up for justice, has created a new "health apartheid" in the international community, a coordinated effort to isolate Taiwan. In today's world of massive global exchanges, the continued exclusion of Taiwan from the global systems of health alerts poses a serious threat to the lives of the Taiwanese people.
Political maneuvering should never override humanitarian concern. The results of this poll demonstrate the will and feeling of the Taiwanese people. We hope that all WHO member states will heed their desire, and take action to end Taiwan's enforced exclusion.
In particular, we call on the Chinese government to cease its political suppression, which only pushes us further and further away. If China can demonstrate goodwill on this issue, it will immediately benefit cross-Strait relations; even more importantly, it will strengthen global health cooperation into the future, allowing everyone to work together to defeat diseases and promote "health for all."
WHO Opinion Poll: Summary Results
I. Survey Method
1. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,081 adults, aged 20 and older, in all 25 counties and cities, conducted May 7-8, 2004. Based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3.04 percentage points
2. Conducted by Taiwan Real Survey Co. Ltd.
II. General Aspirations for Taiwan's Diplomacy
1. 89.1% of respondents felt that achieving an equal status and proper dignity in the international community is important; only 2.2% felt it is unimportant.
2. 83.5% of respondents felt that strengthening our relations with the US and Japan is important; 5.6% felt it is unimportant.
3. 82.4% of respondents felt that promoting Taiwan's entry into international organizations is an important work; 5.8% felt it is unimportant.
4. 74.3% of respondents felt that increasing the number of countries which formally recognize us is an important work; 13.4% felt it is unimportant.
III. Attitudes Toward Promoting Joining the WHO
1. 89.1% of respondents had heard of the WHO; 10.9% had not.
2. 52.1% of respondents were concerned that the recent outbreak of SARS in China could spread to Taiwan; 21.3% were not.
3. 62.0% of respondents felt that, participation in the WHO would assist our efforts to control SARS; 24.8% did not agree.
4. 89.4% of respondents support Taiwan's efforts to join the WHO; only 2.7% said they did not support.
5. 78.1% of respondents felt that participating in the WHO would help improve our country's international status; 10.4% felt it would not help.
IV. Attitudes Toward the PRC's Opposition to our Entry into the WHO
1. 60.9% of respondents agreed that "The reason Taiwan cannot join the WHO is the opposition from the PRC." 22.5% disagreed, and 16.6% gave no response.
2. 86.4% of respondents expressed that, if Taiwan cannot join the WHO this year, due to the opposition from the PRC, they would support the government to continue working to join the WHO next year; only 3.6% did not support such efforts.
3. 81.3% of respondents felt the PRC's opposition to Taiwan joining the WHO is unreasonable; only 5.2% felt it is reasonable, and 13.5% gave no response.
4. 83.8% of respondents did not agree with the PRC's opposition to Taiwan join all sorts of international organizations. Only 2.7% disagreed, and 13.6% gave no response.
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