Taiwan is beefing up its last-ditch efforts in lobbying various countries, especially the US, for its bid to gain an observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA) amid what officials termed "overwhelming" opposition from Beijing.
The WHA votes today on whether to place Taiwan's bid on its agenda.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
As the US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson reached Geneva yesterday morning for the week-long WHA meeting slated to begin today, Taiwanese officials were still pushing for a meeting with Thompson to try to gain US backing for the country's latest bid.
"We are still arranging the meeting," Head of the Department of Health Lee Ming-liang (李明亮) said yesterday before press time.
Lee confirmed that the US has promised that Thompson would speak in favor of Taipei's bid to become an observer at the WHA "on several occasions" during his stay in Geneva.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed to the US that it would like Thompson to voice support for Taiwan's bid during formal WHA meetings, sources said.
There are two WHA meetings today that should touch upon Taiwan's case. The first is the general committee's discussion in the morning which will decide whether to add Taiwan's application as a "supplementary item" to the WHA agenda. This afternoon's second plenary meeting will review the result of the committee's morning decision on the agenda.
Thompson is scheduled to give a luncheon talk tomorrow at the invitation of the World Medical Association, Lee said.
As of press time yesterday, it was not clear when the US would express its stance on Taiwan's bid, Taiwanese officials said.
When asked to specify Taiwan's strategy during the week-long meeting, Michael Kao (
Ambassador-at-large Ken Chiu (
"With the exception of Mexico, which has expressed its clear opposition to our applications and said it would speak out in favor of China during the meeting, many countries that we've contacted have expressed their sympathy with us," Chiu said.
Officials said that while they have been working overtime to strengthen support for Taiwan's bid and to capture more international media coverage, Beijing has been taking unprecedented measures to block their progress.
"Since we arrived we've confronted many difficulties far beyond our imagination, especially tremendous measures taken by China to suppress us," Lee said.
"The sabotage by Beijing of our bid during the past two weeks or so has been unprecedented," said Patrick Wang (
For instance, a series of advertisements for Taiwan's WHO bid at the Swiss airport were somehow removed on Saturday from the site earlier than the duration agreed between Taipei and a local advertising firm, Wang said.
The Swiss Committee of Communications has also denied Taipei's original plan to introduce a series of related advertisements to a French broadcast program in Switzerland, Wang added.
Lee said that other factors have also complicated the nation's bid. The original chairman of the WHA meeting, Chilean health minister Jinenez Azata, was unable to reach Geneva due to strikes by medical professionals in his country, throwing an unexpected kink in the proceedings.
Lee, however, said that he believes Taiwan has gained substantive progress in its WHO bid this year.
"Although we may see no difference between the result of the discussions on Taiwan's bid today and that of last year, we have indeed made a lot of progress this time," Lee said.
Lee also confirmed that he has sent a petition letter this month to WHO Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland to ask for her support for Taiwan's WHO bid.
Meanwhile, the Swiss newspapers 24 Heures and the Tribnune de Geneve covered Taiwan's efforts in their editions yesterday.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
RSS