A reader alerted me to this commentary by former Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole in the Washington Times supporting Taiwan's entry into the WHO:The case for admitting Taiwan to WHO could not be clearer:
(1) Taiwan has the resources to become a top-tier participant. In the last 10 years, its public and private sectors have provided more than $450 million in health care and humanitarian aid to more than 90 countries. Today, with one of the world's 20 largest economies, it is willing and able to do much more.
(2) Taiwanese doctors and other health-care professionals have the skills to provide services to the widest possible range of beneficiaries. At home, their dedication and implementation of a superior health-care system has led the Economist to rank Taiwan the second-healthiest nation in the world.
(3) Taiwan is uniquely placed to address health threats emanating from China and elsewhere in Asia. Having suffered from the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, which began in China in 2003, Taiwan worked closely and directly with other Asian countries in 2005 to prevent the spread of the bird flu (H5N1 influenza). Taiwan's full-fledged campaign made it the only East Asian country to escape this pandemic.
Unfortunately, Taiwan's efforts to increase its health-care outreach and its effectiveness through cooperation with WHO are actively and constantly thwarted by communist China and WHO itself. Beijing, an authoritarian regime, vigorously opposes every attempt by Taiwan, a vibrant democracy, to participate in international organizations. WHO is governed U.N.-style: This means political considerations sometimes trump its avowed mission, rational decisionmaking is sometimes lacking and doors that should be wide open are sealed shut.
Hell yes. I have always liked and respected Dole, who served his country with distinction in both peace and war, and has a fantastic sense of humor. Way to go, Bob.
[Taiwan] [WHO]
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