Taiwan: Calling Taiwan a 'Province of China' Totally Unacceptable

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Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta told a World Health Organization (WHO) official Monday that calling Taiwan a province of China -- as it did in a September, 2010 letter -- was "totally unacceptable," according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a press release, MOFA said Chiu made the protest in person when he delivered a strong-worded letter of protest to WHO's legal counsel Gian Luca Burci in the presence of six representatives of Taiwan's diplomatic allies based in Geneva.

Chiu was protesting a letter issued by the WHO secretary-general's office in September 2010 that instructed its various agencies to use "the Taiwan province of China" whenever referring to Taiwan.

The effects of correspondence between the WHO and Chinese Taipei in 2009 regarding the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) should prevail over those of the secretary -general's 2010 letter, Chiu said to Burci.

Chiu added that when referring to Taiwan, WHO should follow WHA's practice by using the name of Chinese Taipei.

In his letter of protest to WHO Secretary-General Margaret Chan, the Taiwan minister pointed out that in a correspondence with Chinese Taipei in January, 2009 agreeing to accept Taiwan as part of the IHR operation networks, the WHO asked Taiwan authorities to designate a "Point of Contact in Taipei."

However, Chiu continued, the WHO, in an internal document dated September 2010, stated an inappropriate procedure for implementing the IHR involving Taiwan and used an erroneous term to refer to the country.

The term -- "the Taiwan province of China" -- is biased and full of political implications, he said. That term is not just completely contrary to the fact, but also hinders the implementation of the IHR, Chiu said.

That false term is "totally unacceptable" and Chinese Taipei would like to express a strong protest over its use, Chiu said in his letter.

The letter pointed out that Chinese Taipei has been invited to the World Health Assembly, the highest decision making body of the WHO, for three years in a row and WHA in all of its official documents has always used the name of Chinese Taipei.

The Chinese Taipei delegation to the WHA deeply regrets WHO's use of the term "the Taiwan province of China" that contravenes WHA practices and it sincerely hopes that WTO would immediately correct it on the principle of consistency and transparency, said the letter.

Representatives of Taiwan's allies based in Geneva also called on the WTO to properly handle this issue, saying the WTO's term for Taiwan does not accord with the fact and does not show respect for the country.

Accepting Chiu's letter on behalf of the secretary-general, Burci said he will quickly hand it over to Chan and the assembly will look into the matter later. He promised to keep in contact with Chinese Taipei over this matter.

Burci told Chiu that Taiwan's performances in the past WHA sessions were impressive and he hoped to see more of Taiwan in the upcoming events.