US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday urged the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, saying that China’s objections are to blame for Taiwan’s exclusion from the organization.
Blinken’s remarks came after the French Senate on Thursday passed a resolution 304-0 backing Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, including the WHO, and after the G7 foreign ministers backed Taiwan’s WHA bid in a joint communique on Wednesday.
The 74th WHA is to take place virtually from May 24 to June 1. Taiwan participated as an observer from 2009 to 2016, but has since been denied entry.
Photo: AFP
“Unless the organization’s leadership takes appropriate action, the assembly will once again exclude the vital participation of Taiwan,” Blinken said.
“There is no reasonable justification for Taiwan’s continued exclusion from this forum, and the United States calls upon the WHO director-general to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the WHA — as it has in previous years, prior to objections registered by the government of the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
“WHO leadership and all responsible nations should recognize that excluding the interests of 24 million people at the WHA serves only to imperil, not advance, our shared global health objectives,” he added.
“Taiwan is a reliable partner, a vibrant democracy and a force for good in the world, and its exclusion from the WHA would be detrimental to our collective international efforts to get the pandemic under control and prevent future health crises,” he said.
“We urge Taiwan’s immediate invitation to the World Health Assembly,” Blinken said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked Blinken for repeatedly voicing support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHA.
The US has never ceased in its support for Taiwan’s WHA bid, with its support stronger this year than ever, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Washington has been a bellwether in leading other countries to voice support for Taiwan.
The nation welcomes more countries to work with Taiwan to “go beyond politics” and protect universal health, it said.
Taiwan has been striving to join international organizations related to healthcare and medicine, but encountered irrational obstacles and pressure from China, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said separately.
The nation thanks the US, France and other major powers for supporting it and affirming its achievements in healthcare, Lo said, adding that it would continue to deepen relations with like-minded countries.
Separately, the leaders of Taiwan’s three Caribbean allies also urged the WHO to allow Taiwan’s participation in the WHA. They made the calls through pre-recorded videos provided by their embassies in Taiwan.
“It makes absolutely no sense to exclude Taiwan” from the WHA, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves said, adding that excluding the nation would “limit the effectiveness of that assembly and the operations of the World Health Organization.”
“Leave the politics out, this is about health,” he said.
Saint Kitts and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Brantley said that Taiwan should be included in the WHA so that it can play a role in international affairs.
“Taiwan has demonstrated throughout this COVID-19 pandemic that it is a global leader,” Brantley said, adding that Taiwan has “set global standards in handling this pandemic.”
“Taiwan has proved itself to be a successful model in the global fight against the pandemic, not just by successful management of the spread, but also by helping other countries, including my country Saint Lucia, to combat the outbreak,” Saint Lucia Minister of Health Mary Isaac said, adding that it is time to “let Taiwan help.”
Additional reporting by Lee Hsin-fang and CNA
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS