TAIWAN CONFIRMS SETBACKS ON WHO VACCINE, EXECUTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 001484

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2019
TAGS: PREL WHO TW CH
SUBJECT: TAIWAN CONFIRMS SETBACKS ON WHO VACCINE, EXECUTIVE
BOARD EFFORTS

REF: EAP/TC E-MAIL DATED DECEMBER 11

Classified By: Dave Rank, AIT POL Chief, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs International
Organizations Section Chief Jonathan Sun confirmed the
information contained in ref, telling AIT Pol Chief on
December 14 that the WHO would not accept a contribution of
500,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine because Taiwan was not
&pre-qualified8 to donate vaccines. At its heart, however,
Sun emphasized, the issue was political, and not simply a
technical difficulty. Taiwan attempted to go through the
WHO,s pre-qualification process, Sun explained, but was
unable to do so because the WHO would not work with officials
from Taiwan,s Department of Health (DOH). Nevertheless, Sun
said, DOH intended to continue to pursue its efforts to be
pre-qualified.


2. (C) ESTH Officer followed up with DOH Department of
International Cooperation Specialist Coco Lee, who noted that
the WHO Legal Counsel's office told Taiwan the
"prequalification" problem was primarily technical at this
point. Before the WHO would consider accepting a drug
donation, Lee said, Taiwan health authorities needed to
submit paperwork asking the WHO to certify a "national
regulatory authority" (NRA) on Taiwan. This certification
would require WHO inspectors to visit Taiwan and approve the
proposed NRA. (Note: Taiwan's NRA likely would be the FDA,
an entity that will come into full existence in January
2010.) Lee noted that four countries in Asia had
WHO-approved NRAs: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and India,
and suggested that, from scientific and quality assurance
standpoints, Taiwan should be able to easily pass the
certification process. However, she admitted, PRC objections
could prevent the WHO from accepting Taiwan's NRA paperwork
and/or from sending an inspection team. Taiwan did not yet
have a timeframe for submitting the required paperwork, she
said. Lee made clear that DOH, up to and including Minister
Yaung Chih-liang, strongly rejected the idea of a bilateral
donation, based in part on warnings from representatives at
the U.S. Mission in Geneva about liability issues.


3. (C) Although the WHO,s handling of the vaccine issue was
disturbing, MOFA official Sun said, of greater concern were
reports of PRC comments about Taiwan,s desire to take part
in the January WHO Executive Board (EB) meeting. PRC
representatives in Geneva had warned other WHO members that
Taiwan,s efforts to increase its involvement in the WHO
could jeopardize its ability to participate in the May 2010
World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting. Moreover, he said, the
PRC appeared to be engaged in a coordinated effort to
mischaracterize the agreement that allowed Taiwan to take
part in the May 2009 WHA meeting. Contrary to PRC
assertions, there was no cross-Strait consensus that
Taiwan,s involvement in the WHO would be limited exclusively
to observing at the WHA meeting each May, and that Beijing
would have complete discretion to decide what else Taiwan
might do with the WHO. This was entirely false, Sun
insisted. Taiwan,s participation in the May 2009 WHA
meeting was the result of efforts by many countries. Taiwan
did not, and would not, agree to a PRC veto on that or any
other aspect of Taiwan,s international involvement.

Comment
--------------

4. (C) MOFA and DOH appear to have slightly different
understandings of where Taiwan is in the "prequalification"
process. This is not uncommon here, and we regularly push
authorities to improve interagency coordination. In this
case, we expect that MOFA's assessment -- that the PRC will
oppose contacts between the WHO and a Taiwan "national
regulatory authority" -- is likely accurate. While Taiwan
has made progress towards expanding its "international
space," many more challenges lie ahead.
STANTON