Taiwan has not received a letter of invitation to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA), Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said today before a meeting at the Legislative Yuan.
The 78th WHA, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, is to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 19 to 27.
The WHA Action Team would continue to push for Taiwan to join international health organizations and demonstrate Taiwan’s eagerness to participate, Chiu said.
Photo: Reuters
All global citizens have the right to access equal healthcare opportunities and Taiwan can help toward this goal, Chiu said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has said that Taiwan has “no right” to participate in the WHO, as the Democratic Progressive Party refuses to accept the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The TAO said that Taiwan has been able to attend the WHA conference since 2009 as an observer in a “special arrangement” under the political basis of the “1992 consensus.”
The office further said that Taiwan was disrupting the WHA and could only join the assembly if it accepted the “one China” principle.
Taiwan has some of the highest-quality medical care in the world, as recognized internationally, and seeks to engage in international cooperation and assist other nations, Chiu said.
The right to healthcare should not be influenced by politics, he added.
Asked if Taiwan would attend sideline meetings and interact with the overseas Taiwanese community outside the WHA venue, Chiu said it is difficult to define what is “inside” and “outside” of the WHA.
The goal is to showcase Taiwan’s high-quality healthcare, no matter the location, he said.
The WHA Action Team’s presence in Geneva would also help to attract media attention, he added.
Additional reporting by Chiu Chih-jou
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