However, the mainland was still surprised to learn that Taiwan authorities went back on their word on Sunday and turned down an offer of help in the island's fight against SARS.

Despite the formidable challenge the mainland is facing to rid itself of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), it has still taken the health and welfare of its Taiwan compatriots to heart.

As the fatal disease spreads in Taiwan, people on the mainland have offered to donate medical equipment to the island. Acting on behalf of these groups, the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) contacted Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), its counterpart in Taipei. Last Wednesday, the latter wrote back to express its thanks and promised to handle the donation from the mainland.

Three days later, when the mainland was racing against the clock to arrange transport for the first donations, SEF made an abrupt U-turn and sent a fax rejecting ARATS's offer of help.

The SEF justified its action by claiming the island has a sufficient supply of the medical equipment to be donated.

This is not true.

A story on Tuesday from Taiwan's Central News Agency proves that there are still not enough masks for medical staff on the island. It quoted the SARS Prevention and Relief Committee under the "Executive Yuan," or Taiwan's "cabinet," which said Taiwan was planning to buy masks from the United States.

Taiwan knows that the mainland had offered to donate 100,000 surgical masks.

It is therefore not difficult to work out that the real reason behind the Taiwan authorities' sudden change of attitude towards donations from the mainland is a political one.

By refusing the gift, they intend to vent their spleen over the island's failure to establish a presence with the World Health Organization (WHO). This is also self-evident in SEF's fax to ARATS on Sunday.

The question of Taiwan's right to observer status at the WHO was fairly settled by the world body's 56th general assembly last Monday.

By confusing political disputes with humanitarian issues, the Taiwan authorities are compromising the welfare of their own people.

Given the ferocity of the SARS epidemic, help from others would increase their chance of beating the disease. And the mainland has made clear its willingness to do whatever it can to help.

(China Daily May 29, 2003)