Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TAIPEI4404
2005-10-31 23:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:  

TAIWAN VACCINE DIPLOMACY OVERRATED

Tags:  TBIO AMED SENV CASC ECON TW WHO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004404 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, G, OES/IHA
STATE FOR AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2010
TAGS: TBIO AMED SENV CASC ECON TW WHO
SUBJECT: TAIWAN VACCINE DIPLOMACY OVERRATED

REF: TAIPEI 04295

Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS PAAL, REASON 1.5 B/D

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004404

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, G, OES/IHA
STATE FOR AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2010
TAGS: TBIO AMED SENV CASC ECON TW WHO
SUBJECT: TAIWAN VACCINE DIPLOMACY OVERRATED

REF: TAIPEI 04295

Classified By: AIT DIRECTOR DOUGLAS PAAL, REASON 1.5 B/D


1. (C) As reported in Ref A, on Oct. 17, 2005, Michael Kao,
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that Taiwan was
preparing to propose at next month's APEC summit in Busan,
South Korea to produce and distribute avian flu vaccine to
APEC countries. This is part of a series of moves by Taiwan
to gain visibility and international credibility by assisting
countries in health-related matters. This dovetails with
their attempt to become a member of the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the World Health Assembly (WHA). As
Vice Minister Kao was reported to have said in the Taiwan
media "China hasn't been able to make any public protest due
to the scope and severity of the disease...We certainly will
make good use of this opportunity, which might help Taiwan
make a breakthrough in international participation."

2 (C) The timing of the announcement suggests that scoring
political points is at least part of the reason for
Taiwan's vaccine proposal. AIT has learned that Taiwan
currently has no vaccine production capability and is years
away from having the facilities or technical expertise to
produce flu vaccines. AIT ECONOFF spoke with longtime
contact Hsu Yu-chen, research assistant in the Planning
Division at Taiwan's Center for Disease Control (CDC). Hsu
said that in November 2004, the Executive Yuan committed NT$6
billion to spearhead an effort to manufacture vaccines in
Taiwan on a commercial scale. The plan calls for NT$4billion
to be spent on a flu vaccine plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Taiwan expects to gain the technical expertise to manufacture
vaccines by partnering with a foreign pharmaceutical company.
The foreign company will also be expected to invest in the
plant. Hsu said "GlaxoSmithKline is a possible partner but
we are going to have an open bidding process sometime next
year before we select the foreign partner."


3. (C) The "Flu Vaccine Self Production Plan" envisions
Taiwan producing flu vaccines on a commercial scale in four
to five years. The first step of the plan is for Taiwan's
two vaccine labs, one operated by the CDC and another
operated by the National Health Research Institute, to
combine into one lab and be relocated to Hsinchu. Hsu
estimates that, at the earliest, Taiwan will be ready to
produce flu vaccines in three to four years.
PAAL