Wednesday, Apr 09, 2003

The war in Iraq dominates the news media in such a way that it is less clear just what is taking place than it would be with less reporting. Television news spends about 95 percent of its time on the war. The larger newspapers expand their coverage in a special separate section in addition to the front page news. All other news has to struggle to be seen. But in the back pages, the number two international news story is a tie between North Korea and the SARS epidemic. China doesn't do well in either of these two, at least in the American press.

These last few months, China's image has changed considerably. [...]

Similarly, some five months ago, it could not publicly reveal that it knew nothing about the virus and that the problem was therefore beyond its control. The result has been a disaster. Not only have a growing number of people died from the virus, the damage to Hong Kong's economy is still growing and will take a long time to recover. The contagion has spread to other countries and since there is no certainty about how the virus is transmitted, there is uncertainty about how to cope with it.

Taiwan has every right to publicly criticize Beijing for endangering the lives of Taiwan's citizens through blatant mismanagement. It is equally right to criticize the World Health Organization (WHO) for putting politics above its reason for existing. With the possible exception of China, what member country would criticize the WHO for dealing directly with Taiwan at a time of crisis? If there is any bright side to this issue, or to the changing perception of China, it is that after many years of publicly pleading for participation in the WHO, Taiwan might now receive a warmer reception.

There is a broader message as well, however. For people everywhere, and particularly in Taiwan and among the young, there is a lesson about the priorities of differing systems of government when they deal with life-threatening crises such as the SARS outbreak. The authoritarian system found in China puts stability and the leadership's survival as the first priority. A democratic government, such as Taiwan's, puts its people first. Compare the response to the earthquake that hit Taiwan a few years ago. Emergency groups from all over the world were welcomed in to help aid the victims. In China, a contagious and lethal virus was discovered, yet it was hidden from the people and the groups in the wider world that could help. Which government would you rather live under? If China wants to become a prominent player in the world community, it ought to start acting like one.

Nat Bellocchi is the former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and is now a special adviser to the Liberty Times Group.The views expressed in this article are his own.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2003/04/09/201418