After a 20-year-long effort, Taiwan became an official member of the WTO on Jan.1. The focus of Taiwan's march toward membership in international organizations will therefore shift this year to achieving observer status in the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO works to promote the highest possible standards of health, emphasizing that, "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition."
Taiwan needs the WHO and the WHO also needs Taiwan: the sharing of experience and cooperation between the two to eliminate epidemics would improve the health standards of the people of Taiwan and of humanity in general.
The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) has long fought for the rights and interests of the Taiwanese people, aggressively lobbying the US Congress and administrative authorities for support for Taiwan's observer status in the WHO.
Both the US Senate and Con-gress have passed legislation in support of Taiwan being given observer status in the body. On Jan. 13, FAPA held its 20th anni-versary celebration in Taiwan. The leading US proponent of Taiwan's WHO membership, US Representative Sherrod Brown, participated.
FAPA not only helps the people of Taiwan understand the efforts expended by Taiwanese organizations and friends overseas to raise Taiwan's status, but it also encourages the government and people to improve contacts and strengthen cooperation with overseas groups and more aggressively promote WHO membership.
This year, both governmental and non-governmental organizations have made early preparations to initiate efforts to acquire WHO membership, including contacting the organization's executive board.
Even though the first round met with difficulties, we will continue our unremitting efforts at the World Health Conference to be held in May. American friends of Taiwan have also begun an attempt to secure a legal amendment in Congress promoting Taiwan's membership in the WHO this year, in the hopes that US administrative authorities will have ample time to prepare the groundwork.
In addition to the US, however, we of course have to work hard to gain the support of other countries, in particular those in the EU. Given the closeness of cooperation between the US and Taiwan, however, we believe that many other countries will support Taiwan's entry into the WHO.
In short, the effort for Taiwan to gain entry into the WHO or other international organizations must continue, 365 days a year. We must do good deeds, plan and design, and never relent in our efforts.
Chen Lung-chu is chairman of the Taiwan New Century Foundation.
Translated by Perry Svensson
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of