The central government of China has shown flexibility in agreeing
that Taiwanese experts attend the World Health Organization meeting
on SARS being held in Malaysia, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu
Jianchao in Beijing Tuesday.
At
a press conference, Liu said, since Taiwan has been seriously
affected by SARS, the central government has agreed that the five
experts invited by the WHO can attend the meeting.
This decision demonstrates the central government's concern for the
health and welfare of the Taiwanese people, as well as its
flexibility and sincerity in dealing with technical issues, Liu
said.
He
said the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have various communication
channels, and in the field of health and medicine, hundreds of
groups and thousands of people engage in exchanges each year. The
invitation to attend this meeting was made by the central
government through such channels.
The Chinese delegation is being headed by Vice Minister of Health
Gao Qiang, the spokesman said.
The two-day conference has attracted some 100 scientists and
officials who have been on the front line in the fight against
SARS.
(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2003)