Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HONGKONG3063
2006-07-28 08:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Hong Kong
Cable title:  

HONG KONG REACTIONS TO MARGARET CHAN,S NOMINATION

Tags:  AMED ECON PREL KSTH TBIO EAGR CVIS HK CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHKA #3063 2090856
ZNY CCCCC OF THE SARS OUTBREAK, A FACTOR THAT PLAYED A LARGE
P 280856Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003063 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/CM AND EAP/EP TWANG
STATE FOR G/AIAG JLANGE, HFOSTER, RFENDRICK
STATE FOR M/MED AND M/MEDEX PETER WOOD
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, ELVANDER, BHAT
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USDA FOR DU/US LAMBERT
BEIJING FOR DSELIGSOHN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2031
TAGS: AMED ECON PREL KSTH TBIO EAGR CVIS HK CH
SUBJECT: HONG KONG REACTIONS TO MARGARET CHAN,S NOMINATION
TO LEAD WHO

CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC/POLITICAL SECTION ACTING CHIEF JEFF ZAISER;
REASONS 1.4(B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003063

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/CM AND EAP/EP TWANG
STATE FOR G/AIAG JLANGE, HFOSTER, RFENDRICK
STATE FOR M/MED AND M/MEDEX PETER WOOD
HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, ELVANDER, BHAT
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USDA FOR DU/US LAMBERT
BEIJING FOR DSELIGSOHN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2031
TAGS: AMED ECON PREL KSTH TBIO EAGR CVIS HK CH
SUBJECT: HONG KONG REACTIONS TO MARGARET CHAN,S NOMINATION
TO LEAD WHO

CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC/POLITICAL SECTION ACTING CHIEF JEFF ZAISER;
REASONS 1.4(B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: ON JULY 25, THE PRC CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN
BEIJING NOMINATED DR. MARGARET CHAN, FORMER HONG KONG
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, TO BE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO). MEDIA REPORTS AND CONTACTS IN THE
PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD SUGGEST BROAD SUPPORT FOR HER CANDIDACY,
BELIEVING THAT BEIJING MIGHT BE MORE OPEN TO WHO EFFORTS IN
THE REGION IF A CHINESE PERSON WERE AT THE HELM OF THE
ORGANIZATION. SOME PATIENT ADVOCACY GROUPS IN HONG KONG,
HOWEVER, HAVE CRITICIZED CHAN FOR HER HANDLING OF THE SARS
CRISIS IN 2003. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) BRIEF BIO: CHAN HAS MEDICAL DEGREES FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO AND AN MPH FROM THE NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE. SHE JOINED HONG KONG,S DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH IN 1978 AND WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF HEALTH IN

1994. SHE CAME UNDER STRONG CRITICISM FOR HER ALLEGED POOR
HANDLING OF THE SARS OUTBREAK, A FACTOR THAT PLAYED A LARGE
ROLE IN HER RESIGNATION FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN

2003. A 2004 SARS REPORT CITED HER FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S SLOW
RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS; IN PARTICULAR, SHE WAS BLAMED FOR THE
FAILURE TO ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO INITIAL REPORTS OF THE
EPIDEMIC IN GUANGDONG, AND FOR HONG KONGS DELAYED ENGAGEMENT
WITH PRC OFFICIALS TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE OUTBREAK AND
ITS THREAT TO HONG KONG. FOLLOWING HER RESIGNATION, SHE
JOINED THE WHO AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES. CHAN RECENTLY TOOK A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM THAT

JOB TO SEEK THE DIRECTOR GENERAL POSITION. LOCAL MEDIA
REPORTED THAT SHE FLEW TO BEIJING ON JULY 27 TO DISCUSS HER
CANDIDACY STRATEGY WITH MAINLAND OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY
OF HEALTH AND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.


3. (U) SOME LOCAL MEDIA HAVE REPORTED THAT CHAN IS LIKELY TO
FACE STRONG COMPETITION FOR THE WHO POSITION. ACCORDING TO
THE "SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST," HOWEVER, THE PRC'S NOMINATION
AND STRONG SUPPORT FOR HER CANDIDACY COULD HELP HER WIN THE
JOB, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE WHO HAS URGED CHINA TO BE MORE
OPEN AND TRANSPARENT IN ITS PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSES. MEDIA
REPORTS ALSO NOTE THAT CHAN,S EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH
HONG KONG,S 1997 OUTBREAK OF H5N1, AS WELL AS THE SARS
EPIDEMIC, PROVIDE HER WITH THE EXPERIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
SKILLS NEEDED BY THE WHO TO RESPOND TO AND PREVENT FUTURE
EPIDEMICS.


4. (C) ON JULY 26, DR. MALIK PIERIS, A RENOWNED INFECTIOUS
DISEASE SPECIALIST FROM HONG KONG UNIVERSITY TOLD ECONOFF
THAT CHAN WAS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE, GIVEN HER BACKGROUND IN
HEALTH PROMOTION AND MANAGEMENT. HE FELT THAT HER ELECTION
WOULD BRING CHANGES TO THE WHO,S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
MAINLAND, IMPLYING THAT IT COULD BRING MORE OPENNESS.
SIMILARLY, PROFESSOR PAUL CHAN OF CHINESE UNIVERSITY, WHO
ONCE WORKED UNDER CHAN AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SAID HER
CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE OF ASIA AND EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH
MAINLAND OFFICIALS WOULD ENABLE THE WHO TO IMPLEMENT
ESSENTIAL POLICIES IN ASIA, A REGION FROM WHICH MANY DISEASES
HAVE EMERGED RECENTLY. HE FELT HAVING A PERSON FROM HONG
KONG IN THE POSITION WOULD FACILITATE COMMUNICATION AND TRUST
BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WHO. HOWEVER, BOTH CONTACTS EXPRESSED
CONCERN ABOUT HER ABILITY TO WIN THE POSITION, NOTING THAT
SHIGERU OMI OF JAPAN ALSO HAS GOOD CHANCES OF ASSUMING THE
POST. NONETHELESS, DR. THOMAS TSANG OF HONG KONG,S CENTRE
FOR HEALTH PROTECTION NOTED ON JULY 27 THAT MANY IN THE
CENTRE WERE PLEASED TO LEARN OF HER NOMINATION AND BELIEVED
THAT SHE HAD THE ABILITY TO GARNER THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
NEEDED TO WIN THE POSITION.


5. (C) ALTHOUGH THERE IS MUCH SUPPORT IN HONG KONG FOR CHAN'S
NOMINATION, VOICES OF DISSENT CAN ALSO BE HEARD. LEGCO
MEMBER DR. KWOK KA KI PUBLICLY SUPPORTED HER NOMINATION, BUT
ALSO URGED HER TO LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES SHE MADE DURING THE
SARS CRISIS. MEANWHILE, HONG KONG PATIENTS' RIGHTS
ASSOCIATION SPOKESMAN TIM PANG PUBLICLY STATED THAT HIS
ORGANIZATION WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CHAN,S ABILITY TO MANAGE A
GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS, GIVEN THE DIFFICULTY SHE HAD IN
RESPONDING TO THE SPREAD OF SARS FROM GUANGDONG TO HONG KONG.
HE PRIVATELY TOLD ECONOFF THAT SUPPORT FOR HER NOMINATION
CAME LARGELY FROM THE HKSAR AND PRC GOVERNMENTS, WHILE SOME
SARS VICTIM GROUPS AND SOME LEGCO MEMBERS RETAIN STRONG
RESERVATIONS ABOUT HER CANDIDACY. HE NOTED THAT OMI OF JAPAN
IS A STRONG CONTENDER FOR THE POSITION, BECAUSE HE ALSO HAS
EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH REGIONAL EPIDEMICS.
PANG ALSO BELIEVES THAT HAVING A CHINESE NATIONAL AS DIRECTOR
GENERAL WILL NOT NECESSARILY LEAD TO INCREASED WILLINGNESS BY
CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION ON DISEASE RATES.
HE NOTED THAT THE MAIN PROBLEM LIES IN THE LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL, AN ISSUE WHICH NEITHER CHAN NOR OMI WOULD BE
ABLE TO ADDRESS EFFECTIVELY. BUT, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
HAVING HER IN THE POSITION COULD HELP IMPROVE THE SOUR
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRC AND THE WHO THAT DATES BACK TO
THE SARS EPIDEMIC.
MULLINS