Taiwan has not yet received an invitation to attend the World Health Assembly (WHA) set to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 19 to May 27, but would still send a WHA Action Team in keeping with past efforts to engage in global public health affairs, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said yesterday.
Speaking with reporters ahead of a meeting of the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, Chiu said that “Taiwan has the highest-quality medical services” and has “assisted many countries.”
He emphasized that health should be equally accessible around the world and “should not be subject to political influence.”
Photo: CNA
The minister’s comments came a day after China’s Taiwan Affairs said the refusal of the “Democratic Progressive Party authorities” to accept the so-called “1992 consensus” had eliminated the political foundation for the “Taiwan region” to participate in the WHA.
Chiu implicitly rejected China’s view by reiterating Taiwan’s commitment to supporting global health cooperation.
Asked whether he would again engage with overseas Taiwanese at events outside the WHA venue, Chiu said distinctions between “inside” and “outside” were difficult to define, and showcasing “Taiwan’s high-quality medical capabilities and compassion” was most important.
Since 2017, Taiwan has been excluded from participating in WHA events as an observer under the designation “Chinese Taipei” due to political pressure from China.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
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