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PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #1484 3480907
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P 140907Z DEC 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2939
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1935
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0152

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