If there is a silver lining to Taiwan’s exclusion from the “health for all except for nations China does not like” World Health Assembly (WHA), which began on Monday, it is the increase in major international support for the nation’s cause.
In addition to 15 of Taiwan’s dwindling number of allies calling on the WHO to consider extending an invitation to Taiwan, Canada and New Zealand for the first time voiced their support at the assembly’s plenary meeting yesterday.
While it is unlikely to change anything given the continued cowardice seen around the world among those who have conceded to China’s demands (looking at you, GAP and Air Canada), it is nonetheless encouraging to see new major powers speak out for Taiwan.
The nation should be grateful to its allies for sticking around and continuing to fight, but as they are small countries, they have little clout in the face of China and its friends.
This also makes the prospect of Taiwan losing all of its allies slightly less frightening — if the nation continues to do things right, making its presence and accomplishments known, while maintaining friendly relations with other nations, there is still a chance that others will speak out when it counts. After all, some of Taiwan’s allies maintained a neutral stance.
Discounting politics and the benefits of being friendly with China, the need for Taiwan’s inclusion is obvious: “Diseases permeate regardless of borders,” Canadian Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor said, while her New Zealand counterpart added: “Global health issues should not be politicized.”
Newspapers around the world have also sounded off, including leading publications in Japan and Argentina.
It is not just about doing the right thing, the Mainichi Shimbun said, as it questioned why China would do this to Taiwan if Beijing officials like to claim so much that Taiwanese are their compatriots. It also voiced concerns about the welfare of its own nation, as Japan is a popular destination for Taiwanese tourists and vice versa.
This is a good chance to get more international exposure on the issue, and indeed, Taiwan’s delegation is in Geneva, Switzerland, holding news conferences, displays and events on the sidelines, while Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) on Saturday received an award from the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
Getting into the UN and participating in sporting events are one thing, but the argument is much stronger here, as there are more concrete ramifications to the world when health is involved.
The world might pay little attention when the Solomon Islands says something about Taiwan, but Canada and New Zealand — and previously the EU and the US — speaking out against China’s actions is a different story. This is an encouraging development, and the more egregious China’s bullying gets, hopefully the more nations will realize that it is time to say something.
Meanwhile, some disturbing events are taking place in Geneva: First, a protest against Taiwan’s exclusion was censored, with police saying that the crowd’s placards and T-shirts were “political slogans” and therefore banned. Even more inexcusable was the WHO’s refusal to grant media accreditation to Taiwanese journalists.
China has not only trampled on a global health issue — now it is walking all over the freedom of speech in one of the freest nations in the world. Any self-respecting nation should speak out against that.
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