help may be coming, but why now?

The US has launched a major campaign to help Taiwan win observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the supreme governing body of the WHO. Taiwan has fought for observer status every year from 1997 to 2006, and again last year, but has never been able to overcome strong opposition from China ...

"The United States will coordinate closely with like-minded nations so that we can effectively express our support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the work of the WHO,” the [leaked] report says ...

"The deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS] in 2003 and the ongoing concern over the potential for human transmission of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus highlight the need to involve Taiwan in a meaningful, pragmatic way in the work of the WHO,” it says.

AND IT DIDN'T in 2003?
Talk about playing politics with people's lives.