Joining the WHO under the name of “Taiwan” is fully consistent with the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) strongly condemned the statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Taiwan is not a sovereign country and is therefore not qualified to join the World Health Organization (WHO). The MAC emphasized that China is afraid to face up to the fact that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent sovereign country, and that Beijing has repeatedly sought in the international arena to pressure other countries to deny the sovereign status of the ROC, completely ignoring the factual status quo in which Taiwan and China have no jurisdiction over each other and are independent of each other. China has also intentionally treated with indifference the basic human right of the 23 million Taiwanese people to seek participation in the international community on an equal basis.
According to public opinion surveys, 94.9% of the Taiwanese people support Taiwan’s bid for membership in the WHO under the name of “Taiwan.” Moreover, public opinion surveys conducted in September 2006 and March 2007 indicated that over 70% of the public agree that Taiwan should apply for membership in international organizations under the name of “Taiwan.” Therefore, joining the WHO under the name of “Taiwan” is fully consistent with the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan. The Chinese government should pragmatically face up to the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan.
In response to the statement made by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Taiwan’s bid to join the WHO is an activity aimed at promoting “Taiwan independence,” the MAC further stated that China has always deliberately attempted to sully the reputation of Taiwan's democratic achievements and shown contempt for the collective aspiration of the 23 million Taiwanese people to have a normal country and live in the international community. China’s reluctance to face up to the fact of the existence of the ROC, its use of the unwarranted label of “Taiwan independence,” and its utter lack of sincerity to improve cross-strait relations are the main sources of instability in the Taiwan Strait. It is hoped that the international community is able to clearly recognize this fact.