For Immediate Release
Washington DC – January 31, 2006
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. Affirms Commitment To Taiwan’s Involvement In Bird Flu Dialogues – Blames Beijing
In a letter dated January 27, to Rep. Robert Andrews, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, Jeffrey Bergner, affirms the “US commitment to support Taiwan’s participation in key international meetings dedicated to fighting influenza and to engage with Taiwanese officials through bilateral meetings and workshops.”
Bergner writes in response to a letter dated December 16, in which 53 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked Secretary Rice for an explanation why Taiwan is left out of US-initiated International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) network, and that Taiwan “be included in the next full meeting of IPAPI, scheduled for January 2006 in Beijing.”
Bergner writes: “We have engaged with representatives from Taiwan in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation….and have supported Taiwan’s bid to obtain observer status in the World Health Assembly. With strong U.S. backing, Taiwan was able to send its CDC director, Steve Kuo, and other experts to represent Taiwan at WHO meetings on avian influenza in Geneva (November 7–9, 2005) and in Tokyo (January 12-13, 2006).”
Bergner continues: “Regrettably, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebuffed our attempts to include Taiwan at this week’s International Pledging Conference of Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza in Beijing, maintaining that only foreign states, multilateral organizations and NGO’s would be invited.”
FAPA President C.T. Lee, MD states: “As a medical doctor myself, saving lives is the sacred duty that every doctor must uphold. With the continuing emergence of Avian flu all over the world, containing the disease and thus saving lives has also become the sacred duty of governments.” “International exchange of information on the Avian flu is in the interest of all governments around the world – including China. It is therefore unconscionable that the Beijing leadership is willing to let their own people and people in other countries succumb to the disease all because of their stubbornness of not wanting to acknowledge Taiwan’s independence. It is utterly unforgivable.”
美重申支持台灣參與禽流感相關合作會議，責怪北京從中阻撓
美國國務院在一封由立法事務助理國務卿柏格納(Jeffrey Bergner)於1月27日致國會議員的信函裡，重申美國政府對台灣參與世界衛生組織以及禽流感相關會議的支持。
柏格納這封信主要是回覆53位美國眾議員於去年12月16日致函萊斯國務卿的聯署信函。議員們當時在信中要求國務院向他們解釋為什麼台灣被排拒在由美國所提出的禽流感國際合作計劃(International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza)之外；並表示希望台灣能夠受邀參加元月於北京所舉行的禽流感國際會議。重量級的國際關係委員會主席海德(Henry Hyde, R-IL)也參與聯署此信。
柏格納表示：「我們曾與台灣代表在亞太經合會時進行交流，並支持台灣爭取世衛大會觀察員的地位。在美國強烈背書下，台灣得已派遣其疾病管制局局長郭旭崧以及其他專家，代表台灣參與世界衛生組織在日內瓦（2005年11月7日至9日）以及東京（2006年1月12日至13日）舉行的禽流感相關會議。很可惜的是，中國外交部嚴拒將台灣納入這個星期於北京舉行的禽流感防控會議，聲稱只有外國政府、國際組織以及非政府組織才能夠受邀參加。」
柏格納最後並在信中重申美國政府將會繼續支持台灣參與所有與禽流感相關的重大會議，以及與台灣官員保持雙方對話與工作會談。
FAPA會長李青泰表示：「由於本人身為醫生，對我來說，挽救任何生命是每一位醫生最神聖的使命。當禽流感等傳染病有可能在全球肆虐時，保護任何人民的生命則是各國政府的神聖使命。」
李青泰繼續表示：「就禽流感資訊以及技術進行意見交流是當前每個國家的最高利益，中國也不例外。中國寧願排除台灣，讓與會的國際疾病專家無法得到最完整的資訊，也不願意讓台灣參與。這樣的做法既蠻橫又不講理。」
