Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-14-Speech-4-178"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-03-14"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Taiwan2
dcterms:Language	"sv"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020314.9.4-178"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-03-14-Speech-4-1792
lpv:speaker	lp:Cecilia Malmström2
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Folkpartiet liberalerna (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Latvia Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 substitute; AFCO (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-06--2004-04-30)3 member_of_the_bureau; ELDR (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, this debate is about Taiwan and the WHO, and all the political groups are agreed that we wish to give Taiwan the opportunity to participate as an observer at the Geneva Summit in a few weeks’ time. Taiwan is a country with a very ambitious public health programme, and its people are among those with the longest average life span in Asia. Infant mortality is low, and many of the diseases that a large number of countries in the world are still combating, such as cholera, chickenpox and malaria, have been eradicated. A delegation from the Taiwanese health ministry visited us here in Strasbourg during the last part-session, and we had the opportunity then to hear a little about Taiwan’s experience. Many valuable lessons have been learned in Taiwan, and there is a great willingness to be of help, both economically and in terms of sharing knowledge. We know that the WHO is in great need of financial aid. I also want to say something about Taiwan as a political entity. My political group, the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, supports democratic developments in Taiwan. We view what has been happening there with a very great deal of sympathy and support the Taiwanese people’s right to decide their own future. A few months ago, we invited President Chen Shui-bian here to award him the Liberal International Freedom Prize, but the French authorities would not give him a visa. We then tried to invite him to Belgium, and the Belgium authorities would not give him a visa either. Instead, they referred to an EU agreement not to invite the President of Taiwan, because to do so would threaten relations with China. Last week, we invited him to Sweden under a private arrangement, and he was not given a visa for my country either. When I recently investigated what rules apply, I learned that there is no such agreement at EU level. It would be illuminating to be told what really applies. I think it is disgusting to grovel in this way to the Chinese dictatorship. It should go without saying that a democratically elected leader should be given a visa when, for example, he receives an invitation from his Liberal colleagues."@en1

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