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
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