Mr ORGAN (9:40 AM) —On 17 and 18 January, I attended the first international parliamentary forum on Asia-Pacific peace and security in Taiwan, with other parliamentarians from around the globe. I would like to thank the Taipei Cultural and Economic Office in Australia and the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei for their assistance in making the trip a success.

It was a timely visit. On 20 March, the people of Taiwan go to the polls to elect a new president and to vote in their first ever referendum calling for peace with China. Taiwan, with a population of some 23 million people, has in recent years made major strides in human rights and is emerging as a vibrant democracy. It is a significant economic and technological player in the Asia-Pacific region and has the potential to become a major tourist destination. In 2001-2002, Taiwan was Australia's eighth largest trading partner and export destination, with two-way trade totalling almost $9 billion.

Regrettably, however, our government does not formally recognise Taiwan, nor do we have any official dealings with it. We are dealing at arms-length with a like-minded democracy based on a decision taken back in 1972—the so-called One China policy. That is a policy that needs to be reassessed in the light of our changing relationship with the People's Republic of China and the emergence of Taiwan as a democratic country. The One China policy offers a false legitimacy to the ongoing torture, imprisonment and denial of basic freedoms for the Tibetan people; it labels the Dalai Lama as a terrorist; it excludes Taiwan and its people from membership of the World Health Organisation; and it threatens the peaceful, democratic life of the people of Taiwan.

The One China policy may well not be working in the best interests of regional peace and security and our own economic interests. The diplomatic and political maze surrounding relations between China, Taiwan and us is reflected in the fact that, while Taiwan was made a member of the World Trade Organisation—the WTO—in January 2002, it has been trying without success to be readmitted to the World Health Organisation. It seems to me that Australia should reconsider its decision not to support Taiwan's membership of the WHO, especially in light of the SARS epidemic and the more recent bird flu outbreak affecting Asia. Equally concerning is the continuingly aggressive attitude of the People's Republic of China towards Taiwan and the 496 ballistic missiles presently targeted on Taiwan by China. This does not aid stability in the region.

As an independent, sovereign nation proud of its open and free democracy, Australia could help persuade China that it has nothing to fear from Taiwan, making its present aggressive stance unwarranted. I wonder if there might not now be an opportunity for Australia to use its influence to encourage dialogue between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China, to help bring an end to the friction between these two important members of the community of nations.