Rising influence

World Trade Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Telecommunications Union.

Chinese national to lead a key global body was a woman doctor from Hong Kong, Margaret Chan. She was director of health in Hong Kong for nine years and dealt

and the far graver SARS crisis of 2002-2003. She joined the WHO in 2003 as director of the Department for Protection of the Human Environment.

She then served as director, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response and in September 2005 she was named assistant director-general for communicable diseases.

After the sudden death of Director General Lee Jong-wook in 2006, she ran for his post with China’s strong support. However,

“You need to leave your nationality behind because you’re serving the world. If elected, I’m not serving Hong Kong’s interests. I’m not serving China’s interests. I’m serving the world’s interests. That’s a very important message to get clear.”

Ironically, while she won her WHO post largely on the strength of her expertise in dealing with infectious diseases, China — the country that sponsored her — was known to have been less than honest in dealing with the world health body during the SARS crisis. At a news conference after her appointment, Chan was asked about her nationality and China’s coverup during the SARS crisis.

She replied that, being a Chinese national, she hoped that she would have better access to senior levels of the Chinese government.

Perhaps as a result of that relationship, China has significantly improved as far as openness in medical matters is concerned. Their interests collided during SARS, when Hong Kong needed information and Beijing was unwilling to provide it. But, after 2006, their interests largely coincided.

Overall, China should certainly appreciate that Hong Kong, and Chan in particular, was able to help launch Beijing onto the world stage by assuming the top position at a key United Nations body, at a time when China was unable to do it on its own.

It would be good if other Chinese officials serving in global posts, such as Interpol, were able

- ence as Margaret Chan did and help their home government to institute reforms in their areas of expertise. Of course, China has to