One critical factor in whether Taiwan will be invited to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer is the attitude of WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an official familiar with the matter has said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Saturday said that Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to the 71st WHA, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 21 to May 26, adding that it has officially asked its diplomatic allies to petition the international organization on its behalf.
Taiwan last attended the WHA in May 2016, days after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party took office, and China has since been pressuring international organizations to exclude Taiwan from such meetings.
Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and friendly nations, including international organizations from the US and European nations, have voiced support for Taiwan, and on World Health Day last week sent a letter to Tedros, proposing to invite Taiwan to the WHA this year.
However, Tedros seems to have a pro-China attitude and has been dodging the issue, which might weaken Taiwan’s chances of being invited to the WHA this year, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Tedros has served as minister of health and minister of foreign affairs in the Ethiopian government, and has advocated universal health coverage, the source said.
However, he also has a pro-China leaning, so he has not come to a decision on whether Taiwan should be invited to the WHA, they said.
Tedros was polite toward Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) when the latter congratulated him on being elected WHO director-general last year, but he neglected Taiwan’s appeals, the source added.
“It is like he covered his ears and eyes, unwilling to hear or see,” the source said
Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have repeatedly approached the WHO Secretariat to meet Tedros, but he “does not want to meet them,” the source said.
High-ranking officials from Taiwan-friendly nations have also approached him on the issue, but were met with a response citing the “one China” policy, UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1, the source added.
As part of the efforts to promote Taiwan’s contributions to international medical care and public hygiene, the ministry on Monday last week launched the Web site “Leave No One Behind” and distributed via online media outlets a short film, titled A Perfect Air (阿巒的作文課), that documents the nation’s efforts to treat a Vietnamese girl, Nguyen Thi Loan, who had lymphedema.
The Vietnamese-language film is subtitled into Chinese, English, French, German and Spanish, the ministry said.
The ministry expressed its gratitude to the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs for showing support by retweeting a hyperlink for the short film on its official Twitter account on Saturday.
Additional reporting by CNA
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS