A number of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have sent separate proposals to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom asking that the nation be invited to attend this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to the 71st WHA, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 21 to May 26, and it has officially asked its diplomatic allies to petition the international organization on its behalf, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry would not disclose which allies were approached, but said that several countries with which Taiwan has diplomatic ties have written to propose “inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong
Taiwan would continue to seek an invitation until the start of the assembly, even though the chance of obtaining one appears even slimmer than last year, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Taiwan attended the WHA for the last time in 2016 when, following the election of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), China stepped up pressure on international organizations to bar Taiwan from such events.
The statement called on the WHO to defend the professionalism of the field of medicine, saying the organization should not be swayed by some countries’ political objectives.
At an event marking World Health Day, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said that Taiwan’s medical capabilities mean it has much to contribute to the WHO.
The theme of this year’s World Health Day was universal health coverage and Taiwan is perfectly positioned to share insights about its healthcare system, which is rated one of the best in the world, Chen said.
Regardless of whether Taiwan receives an invitation to attend the WHA, Chen is to lead a delegation to Geneva and hold bilateral talks with countries attending the assembly, as he did last year.
Many countries have already agreed to hold discussions with Taiwan outside the WHA venue, sources said.
The Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan on Thursday said that the EU, US and UK, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and Japan are all planning to speak up in favor of Taiwan being invited to attend this year’s WHA.
However, none of the countries and organizations have publicly expressed their intention to do so.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
WATCH FOR HITCHHIKERS: The CDC warned those returning home from Japan to be alert for any contagious diseases that might have come back with them People who have returned from Japan following the World Baseball Classic (WBC) games during the weekend are recommended to watch for symptoms of infectious gastroenteritis, flu and measles for two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Flu viruses remain the most common respiratory pathogen in Taiwan in the past four weeks and the influenza B virus accounted for 55.7 percent of the tested cases, exceeding the percentage of influenza A (H3N2) infections and becoming the local dominant strain, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said at a news conference on Tuesday. There were 82,187 hospital visits for
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
RSS