Mainland Chinese authorities to allow two Taiwan specialists to visit Wuhan to gather information on pneumonia outbreak

Self-ruled island is not a member of the World Health Organisation but scientists will be allowed to visit under cross-strait medical cooperation agreement

China appears to be adopting a more open approach to the new strain of coronavirus – which claimed its first fatality over the weekend – compared with its much-criticised handling of Sars

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The Wuhan Medical Treatment Centre, where a 61-year-old man became the first confirmed fatality from the new virus on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:45pm, 12 Jan 2020Updated: 4:59pm, 17 Feb 2020

Mainland China has agreed to allow Taiwan to send two medical specialists to Wuhan to learn more about the viral pneumonia outbreak in the city.

Two scientists from Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control would visit the central Chinese city “within days”, Chou Jih-haw, director general of the centre, said on Sunday.

“The mainland side agreed on Saturday evening that they would receive a delegation from Taiwan and we will send two experts [to Wuhan] very soon,” Chou said.

Taiwan, which the mainland regards as a wayward province, is not a member of the World Health Organisation. The approval by Beijing was based on a medical cooperation agreement signed between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in 2010.

Mainland scientists have linked the outbreak to a new strain of coronavirus, with 41 cases – one of them fatal – confirmed so far in the city. Hong Kong has also reported 67 suspected cases.

Last Saturday, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said a 61-year-old man, who had also suffered from abdominal “tumours” and chronic liver disease, has died – making him the first confirmed fatality.

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