US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement published on Wednesday urged the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer.
The US “strongly encourages the WHO to reinstate an invitation to Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year’s WHA so the world may once again benefit from Taiwan’s expertise and experience,” the statement said.
The WHA, themed “All for Health, Health for All,” is to take place from May 27 to June 1 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Photo: AFP
Taiwan has not been invited to the WHA since 2017, as China has become more aggressive in opposing the nation’s participation in international forums after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May 2016.
“Inviting Taiwan to observe the WHA is a critically important step toward affirming the WHO’s goal of ‘Health for All,’” Blinken said.
With “exceptional capabilities and approaches,” Taiwan has repeatedly demonstrated “a capability and willingness to help address global health crises and support the global health community,” he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Excluding Taiwan from the WHA “undermines inclusive global public health cooperation and security, which the world demands — and urgently needs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan yesterday called on the nation’s diplomatic allies to support its involvement in the WHO pandemic agreement.
WHO member states are to discuss the world’s first pandemic agreement during the WHA.
The agreement includes mechanisms such as transfers of technology and know-how, access and benefit sharing, and a global supply chain and logistics network to facilitate information sharing and provide technological support during global pandemics.
Taiwan should strive for the opportunity to be a contracting party to the agreement, foundation executive director Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) told a forum in Taipei.
The nation can solicit support from its allies to negotiate on allowing all countries, economies and health entities to join the agreement, Lin said.
If Taiwan cannot take part in the agreement, it should still hope to take part in the meetings and the contracting parties’ technical mechanisms as an observer, she said.
The revised draft of the agreement, which was released in March, states that the document “shall be open for signature by all states and by regional economic integration organizations.”
Taiwan should seek to participate as a member of regional organizations, National Taiwan University College of Public Health professor Tony Chen (陳秀熙) said.
Separately, the Oklahoma Legislature and the Illinois House of Representatives this week passed resolutions to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
The Oklahoma Senate introduced a concurrent resolution, which was adopted by both of its chambers on Wednesday, to encourage “further economic ties and friendship between the state of Oklahoma and Taiwan.”
The state supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization and many others, the bill says.
Oklahoma and the rest of the US “have benefited immeasurably through decades of unwavering friendship with Taiwan, and the wider world is sure to reap tremendous rewards as Taiwan works to enhance its presence in the international community,” it says.
Illinois Representative William Davis, cochair of the state’s Taiwan Friendship Caucus, proposed a resolution to reaffirm the state’s commitment to boosting ties with Taiwan.
The Illinois bill also voices support for the nation’s meaningful participation in international organizations, as well as “Taiwan’s aspiration to make more contributions in international societies.”
Adopting a policy of “steadfast diplomacy,” Taiwan “is capable of fulfilling, and willing to fulfill, its responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to deal with the challenges of humanitarian aid, disease control, and so forth,” it says.
The bill was adopted by the Illinois House on Tuesday.
Additional reporting by CNA
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS