US Secretary of State Blinken urges WHO to issue Taiwan WHA75 invitation
2022/05/23
A statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken backing Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs May 19.
Describing Taiwan as a highly capable, engaged and responsible member of the global health community, Blinken said its exclusion from the WHA harms international efforts to fight COVID-19 while undermining inclusive global public health cooperation. He strongly advocated for an immediate invitation for the country to the WHA—the decision-making body of the World Health Organization—to attain the WHO’s commitment to health for all.
Taiwan offers valuable experience in tackling global health challenges including its significant public health expertise, democratic governance and economic resilience to the pandemic, Blinken said, adding that there is no reasonable justification to exclude the country from participation.
According to the MOFA, Blinken’s message shows strong support from Washington for Taiwan’s bid to take part in the WHO. It follows a bill signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden last week, which directed the secretary of state to develop a strategy to assist Taiwan to regain observer status in the WHO, the ministry added.
Taiwan will continue to expand the country’s international participation and safeguard the rights of its 23.5 million people, the MOFA said, adding that the government will work closely with like-minded partners such as the U.S. to further contribute to global health networks.
In a tweet on the MOFA’s official Twitter account, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said: “Thank you, @SecBlinken, for strongly supporting #Taiwan’s #WHA75 inclusion. Shutting our 23.5 million people out of global health serves no one’s interests. #TaiwanCanHelp in keeping with the @WHO’s goal of #HealthForAll. It’s time to let Taiwan in! JW”
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
