The government is set to hold a news conference today to explain its response measures if the nation does not receive an invitation to attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) after the deadline for online registration ends today, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday.
This year’s WHA, an annual meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO, is to take place from May 22 to May 31 in Geneva, Switzerland, but the nation has not received an invitation from the WHO secretariat.
Since 2009, Taiwan has attended as an observer under the name “Chinese Taipei” following an agreement between the government of then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Beijing and the WHO.
However, due to a cooling of cross-strait relations after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May last year, the nation received an invitation to last year’s summit shortly before the deadline for online registration ended.
For the first time since 2009, that invitation sparked controversy because it mentioned UN Resolution 2758, WHA Resolution 25.1 and the “one China” principle underlying the two documents.
Also yesterday, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance announced that it is to hold a news conference today to outline its plans to send a promotional team to Geneva on Friday next week to lobby for the nation’s entry into the WHO ahead of its general assembly.
Following past practice, the alliance’s team would continue to promote Taiwan’s bid for membership in the WHO near the venue of the WHA this year by distributing leaflets, a spokesperson for the team said.
No new progress has been made in efforts to get an invitation to attend this year’s WHA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Despite that, several nations friendly toward Taiwan which share similar ideals, including the US and Canada, have voiced their support for Taiwan’s presence as an observer, the ministry said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) has said that the nation will fight at full strength until the last minute for the invitation.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
RSS