An official from China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) expressed regret on Monday that the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) recently turned down a donation from the Chinese mainland for fighting SARS.

According to the official, since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) situation in Taiwan is still serious, the patriotic mainlanders are greatly concerned.

The Red Cross Society of China on May 12 sent a letter to the Taiwan Red Cross organization, conveying deep concern over Taiwan's situation and offering medical equipment for fighting SARS.

On May 13, the Taiwan Red Cross sent a letter turning down the offer, but some Taiwan-based non-governmental organizations kept in contact with their mainland counterparts, still hoping to secure the donation.

On May 21, ARATS received a letter from SEF in Taiwan that expressed appreciation for the mainland people from all walks of life for their offer of help and promised to handle the donation from the mainland.

On the basis of this letter, ARATS, on behalf of all mainland circles, decided on May 23 to donate 200,000 suits of protective dresses and gloves, 100,000 surgical masks and five ambulances to Taiwan's severely-hit SARS areas, including Taipei and Kaohisiung.

On May 24, a staff member of SEF called ARATS, saying that every detail for receiving the donation was settled. That same night, ARATS rapidly arranged a special plane for the donation and staff from the customs and quarantine offices all cleared the way for the donation transportation.

However, at the noon on May 25, Taiwan authorities suddenly went back on their words and incited SEF to turn down the first batch of the donation, disregarding the need of Taiwan people.

The ARATS official pointed out that during the process of fighting SARS on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the mainland people take Taiwan's urgent need as their own and actively donate medical goods, embodying the brotherly sincerity.

Every righteous person could sense the justice in what the mainland people have done, he said, noting that despite the political divergence between the two sides across the Taiwan Strait during the past years, the brotherly affection could not be resisted by any political force.

The "Taiwan Independence" advocates who only considered their own political interest but ignored the health of Taiwan people will by no means succeed, he stressed.

The official finally noted that ARATS as well as the mainland people will continue to take the Taiwanese needs as their own and offer all kinds of supports to Taiwanese non-governmental organizations.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2003)