The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation giving the US Senate the power to approve WHO agreements, which also included an amendment supporting Taiwan’s full participation at the WHO.
The No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act, which ensures that any pandemic-related convention of the WHO that attempts to bind the US must be ratified by the US Senate as a treaty, cleared the legislative floor by a bipartisan vote of 219-199.
The act was introduced by Republican US Representative Tom Tiffany to limit the WHO’s influence after the body received strong criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Also included in the bill is an amendment proposed by Republican US Representative Andy Ogles that offers a statement of US policy in support of “Taiwan’s full participation at the WHO.”
Ogle’s amendment passed with a unanimous vote of 403-0, with 34 abstentions.
“For far too long, we [the US] have allowed communist China to dictate the course of US foreign policy, as well as the agenda and membership of every major international organization, including the United Nations,” Ogles said.
“Decades upon decades of giving in to China has left Taiwan with fewer and fewer allies. In the late 1990s, over 30 countries recognized Taiwan. Now the number is down to 12,” he added.
Citing China’s continuing pressure campaign against Taiwan, the lawmaker said no one listened when the latter tried to “warn the WHO of possible human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus on Dec. 31, 2019,” adding that the world health body subsequently released a statement saying that there was no clear evidence of such a thing.
Due to this, the US lost weeks of preparation against the “ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” all because “communist China told the world that under no circumstance could Taiwan be given a seat at the table” at the WHO, Ogles said.
His amendment in support of Taiwan was also echoed by Democratic House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks, who described Taiwan as a US ally, “a democracy and a critical part of the international community.”
However, Meeks was more reserved about Taiwan’s full participation at the WHO.
“I agree with Mr Ogle’s amendment, but I do think, however, that we should be precise and careful in how we talk about important policy matters,” he said.
“Taiwan should be contributing its expertise and participating as an observer in the World Health Assembly,” as in line with the US’ “one China” policy, he added.
The US House this week has passed several pro-Taiwan bills, including the Pacific Partnership Act, which aims to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan and the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, which aims to disincentivize Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by cutting Chinese leaders off from the US financial system if Beijing acts against Taiwan.
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the