Taiwan President Ma Asks European Parliament to Help With WHO

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Taipei, May 17 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) should not have two sets of standards, and has requested the help of the European Parliament to demand the use of "Chinese Taipei" as the name for Taiwan.

The president asked Charles Tannock, head of the Friendship of Taiwan Group in the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union, to help ensure Taiwan is referred to properly at the WHO.

His words came against the background of a controversy over a letter issued by WHO Secretary-General Margaret Chan last September, asking its recipients to refer to Taiwan as "the Taiwan province of China."

The letter was recently disclosed by an opposition Democratic Progressive Party legislator who urged the Taiwan delegation to walk out on the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the WHO, as a protest against such a denigration of its sovereignty.

The president said that Taiwan has taken part in the WHA as an observer under the name of "Chinese Taipei" since 2009, unlike in the past, when Taiwan was only invited to technical meetings.

He only learned recently about WHO's letter asking recipients to address Taiwan as a "province of China."

"Upon learning the news, I myself and our health minister currently at the Geneva meeting have lodged strong protest, " the president said, adding that as an organization with such high stature, the WHO should not have different standards.

Ma said Taiwan has requested that the WHO respect its name of "Chinese Taipei" for the past three years, which he said was a name confirmed after an exchange of notes.

"The WHO should address us as 'Chinese Taipei,' instead of 'Taiwan, China'. We hope you can help us with the proper name in this regard, " the president told Tannock and his 10-member delegation.