The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review its diplomatic effort to gain observer status for Taiwan in the WHO in order to improve its bid in the future, a senior official said yesterday.
Fielding questions at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs Committee, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chiou Jong-nan (邱榮男) said the ministry regretted the decision by the World Health Assembly, the WHO's highest decision-making body, not to discuss Taiwan's bid to become a WHO observer at its meeting in Geneva.
DPP Legislator Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) criticized overseas Taiwanese representatives for failing to enlist the support of foreign governments.
Liu, who recently returned from a trip to Geneva to promote the bid, was particularly critical of Taiwan's representative to France.
The French delegate to the WHA spoke against Taiwan's bid at the WHA's steering committee meeting on Monday.
Chiou said the ministry was surprised by the French delegate's negative remarks. To the best of his understanding, Chiou said, the French government didn't intend to oppose Taiwan's WHA observer status. Moreover, he said, the French delegate's statements were not made at a formal WHA session, but rather at an informal session.
"But anyway, we'll make further inquiries to understand France's true position on the issue," he noted.
Chiou, who once served as Taiwan's representative to France, said he was not surprised by Spain's negative attitude toward Taiwan's WHO bid.
Among European countries, Taiwan maintains diplomatic ties only with the Vatican.
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