04/30/2002 03:15 PM House HES

HJR 50 - SUPPORT TAIWAN IN WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 50,  Supporting the  participation of                                                               
Taiwan in the annual summit of the World Health Assembly.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0920                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LESIL MCGUIRE,  Alaska State Legislature, sponsor,                                                               
presented  HJR 50.   She  explained that  the World  Health Order                                                               
(WHO) convenes a world health assembly,  and this year will be in                                                               
Geneva May  14 through  22, in which  participants from  all over                                                               
the  world  have  an opportunity  to  discuss  health  epidemics,                                                               
problems,  AIDS  [acquired   immune)  deficiency  syndrome],  and                                                               
cross-border infectious diseases.   It is an  opportunity to seek                                                               
solutions  and get  direct evidence  from  other countries  about                                                               
what is going on.  Taiwan  has asked to have direct participation                                                               
as an  observer in  this to have  that first-hand  information to                                                               
take back  to its people.   She referred  to a letter  of support                                                               
that noted it's been  a case of "too little, too  late" as far as                                                               
health epidemics have been concerned in Taiwan.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE  read through parts of  the resolution for                                                               
the  committee.    She  noted  that the  U.S.  [House]  passed  a                                                               
resolution, that  substantially mirrors HJR 50  in December 2001,                                                               
urging Taiwan's  participation as an  observer.  The  U.S. Senate                                                               
recently passed the same resolution March 19, 2002.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE indicated that  this resolution would be a                                                               
gesture of goodwill  to Taiwan for the hard work  it has put into                                                               
health issues.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked who decides who participates.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 1127                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCGUIRE replied  it is a committee  of people, and                                                               
the United States  happens to be one of those  committees.  It is                                                               
a committee of the WHO, and the  U.S. is a voting member of that.                                                               
She indicated  there is an  argument that China  considers Taiwan                                                               
part of the Republic of China,  and people she has spoken with in                                                               
Taiwan  are fine  with  that  relationship.   At  the same  time,                                                               
Taiwan  has  a  large  population that  has  separate  epidemics,                                                               
separate information, and many times  the lag time on information                                                               
from China to Taiwan  is too much.  She said,  "That has been the                                                               
hurdle, Mr.  Chairman; it's  been a  political issue,  and really                                                               
what I'm trying to say is I  don't believe this to be a political                                                               
issue.  People's health is not political to me."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCGUIRE reported  that Taiwan  has been  reaching                                                               
out  to people  it has  special  relationships with.   Taiwan  is                                                               
Alaska's sixth  largest trading partner,  and they have  shared a                                                               
special relationship  through the  years.   She indicated  that a                                                               
resolution from Alaska's legislature would carry some weight.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 1297                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  moved to report  HJR 50 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HJR 50 was reported out of the                                                               
House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.