7/29/2019 Sample Position Paper - China WHO 2012

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China(HSMUN2012) OldSconaAcademic

WorldHealthOrganization AlbertVu

GeneralDisposition

The Republic of China (ROC) was one of five founding members of the United Nationswhich earned a permanent seat in the Security Council upon its inauguration in 1945. The leader

of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, then proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China(PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, driving the Kuomintang party of the

old ROC government to the island of Taiwan. By 1971, PRC delegates had replaced those of theROC in the UN Security Council. Today, the former claims to be the sole legitimate government

of mainland China under the One-China policy a claim recognized by all but 23 nations. Thispolicy encompasses strong Chinese opposition to endorsements of Taiwan and Tibet as separate

states, though popular independence movements have emerged in the international community inrecent years. To date, such animosity has prevented Taiwanese self determination as well as the

establishment of its permanent representation in the UN. The political status of Tibet,meanwhile, remains shrouded in controversy as it fights for independence from the PRC.

Following the death of Mao in 1976 and the end of the Cultural Revolution, Deng

Xiaoping took Chinas leadership reins and undertook comprehensive economic reforms,

transitioning towards a market-oriented economy under single-party rule. Since 1978, economicliberalization has coincided with advancements in Chinas technology, infrastructure, andmilitary power among other factors, all of which have contributed to its meteoric rise from

developing to developed nation. The PRC currently boasts a population of 1.3 billion along withthe worlds fastest growing economy; its nominal GDP and PPP, as of 2012, are second only to

the US. With its rapidly growing international clout, China is poised to overtake its Americancounterpart as global superpower within the next few decades.

Since entering the international stage as a viable power, China has established diplomatic

relations with 171 different countries. Trade relations have played a significant role in Chinasforeign policy, with the US, Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa being some of its major

trading partners. In recent decades, China has also advocated free trade areas and security pactswith other nations, most notably the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along

with India, Australia, and New Zealand. Chinas current foreign policy is based on Zhou EnlaisFive Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, calling for the respect of other nations sovereignty,

non-interference in state affairs, non-aggression, equality, and peaceful coexistence. The notionof harmony without uniformity, however, encourages diplomatic relations with other nations

regardless of ideological differences. This policy has prompted China to support states typicallyviewed as repressive by the West: Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Iran among others. Regardless,

China intends to approach UN affairs with its best interests in mind.

SpreadofInfectiousDiseases

In light of the H1N1 flu outbreak and the associated wave of global panic, the World

Health Organization is faced with the task of building an international framework to respond toany future pandemics in an effective and efficient manner. Criticized for its slow reaction to the

SARS outbreak in 2003, China took a more aggressive approach to the H1N1 pandemic byscreening air travellers and putting hundreds of Mexicans in quarantine, regardless of their health

condition or travel history. Though comprehensive, this response was inefficient and strainedrelations between the Chinese and Mexican governments. Vaccine distribution was also a

significant issue with Chinas population of 1.3 billion, as Sinovac, one of several Chinesemanufacturers of the H1N1 vaccine, predicted only a yield of 30 million doses within the year

far from the amount required for its vulnerable populace. Since foreign countries like Mexico

7/29/2019 Sample Position Paper - China WHO 2012

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China(HSMUN2012) OldSconaAcademic

WorldHealthOrganization AlbertVu

and South Korea had also ordered the vaccine from Chinese manufacturers, the available supplyof vaccine had to be divided between domestic and foreign recipients.

The effects of infectious diseases such as H1N1 are not limited to China, however, and

need to be addressed in conjunction with the WHO. The Chinese Health Ministry fabricated thePreparedness and Contingency Plan for Influenza Pandemics, which emphasizes prevention

over treatment, coordination, prompt reactions to health threats, and reliance on Chinas owncapacity for responding to emergencies. The preparedness phase of the contingency plan

encompasses preventive measures such as public health announcements and nationwidesurveillance of flu activity. In the event of a pandemic reported by the WHO, coordination with

the international community will be crucial, while the Chinese government will conduct clinicalinvestigations of the disease. Such research would aim at creating a vaccine to stem the spread of

the disease as quickly as possible, both in China and abroad. The PRC plans to streamline thedistribution of vaccine to vulnerable individuals, establishing temporary treatment facilities

around the country. Only those confirmed ill with the disease in question will be quarantined;such patients will be treated and released only after they have been deemed healthy. In addition

to domestic responses to the disease, the Chinese government plans to conduct epidemiological

investigations of the virus to determine its source, symptoms, incubation period, andcontamination period. New information on the diseases will be shared with the internationalcommunity in order to improve our capacity to detect and eradicate them. The Chinese

government will perform all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its citizens; it hopes thatnational preparedness and prompt reactions to an outbreak will quell panic among the public.

ProvidingMentalHealthServicestoDevelopingCountries

Although mental illness has not been an issue of great concern in past years, the WHO has

recognized that we are facing a global human rights emergency in mental health. People whoare mentally ill have historically been spurned from society and treated as threats to public

security, regardless of the severity of their disorder. Though drastic advancements have been

made in the developed world, this practice is still prominent in many developing countries. Chinais all too familiar with mental illness: officials estimate 100 million Chinese citizens arementally ill, including disorders ranging from depression to personality disorders to

schizophrenia. Currently, there is growing concern for Chinese youth and people living in ruralareas, among which depression and suicide rates are exceptionally high. The stress of financial

troubles and academic rigours for Chinese youths, and poor quality of life for rural residents, arepossible reasons for this phenomenon, though other causes are to blame as well. China has taken

large steps to address this issue; fortunately, there are now over 17 000 certified psychologistsand many mental hospitals available to help those suffering from mental illnesses.

Despite rising rates of mental disorders in developing countries, the issue is still largely

ignored by local governments and health organizations. The WHO must raise awareness of thisissue in developing nations in conjunction with UN members such as China, and establish mental

health facilities in order to treat those who are ill. Seeing the success of the WHOs internationalcampaign for HIV/AIDS, it would be beneficial to launch similar public announcements and

international fundraisers in order to collect funds. Informing the public would serve to limit thediscrimination against the mentally ill, while the money can be used to establish mental health

facilities for the problem nations. China has recently collaborated with the WHO to improveethical treatment of the mentally ill and their integration into society, and sincerely wishes to aid

developing countries in making advancements of their own.