8 diplomatic offices voice support for Taiwan's WHA participation

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) Eight countries' representative offices in Taiwan issued a joint statement on Monday, reiterating their support for Taiwan's meaningful engagement with the World Health Organization (WHO) and for Taipei's participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision making body of the WHO.

The joint statement came as Taiwan has not received an invitation to the WHA's annual assembly, which will be held from May 19-27 in Geneva this year. It will be the ninth year in a row the country has been excluded from the WHA.

The eight offices, which reaffirmed their support for Taiwan, are the British Office Taipei, the Australian Office Taipei, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, the Czech Economic and Cultural Office, the French Office in Taipei, the German Institute Taipei, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and the Lithuanian Trade Representative Office.

These offices said as a highly capable, engaged and responsible member of the global health community, Taiwan was invited to participate in the WHA as an observer from 2009-2016.

The offices praised Taiwan for its's distinct capabilities and methods, including its significant public health expertise, democratic governance, and advanced technology to bring considerable value to inform the WHA's deliberations.

However, at a time when the 78th session of the WHA will commence in Geneva, Taiwan remains largely excluded from the global international health system, the offices noted.

"Taiwan's isolation from the WHA, the preeminent global health forum, is entirely unjustified," the offices said. "This undermines inclusive global public health cooperation and security, which the world demands, and which is enshrined in the founding documents of the WHO."

"As COVID-19 and continued public health crises make plain, infectious diseases and health hazards do not respect borders. Global cooperation is required to keep the whole world safe," they said.

The offices called for Taiwan's meaningful engagement in the WHO and participation in the WHA as an observer, saying: "Only by including Taiwan as an observer would the WHO be able to fully exemplify the Health Assembly's commitment to 'One World for Health.'"

On Friday, Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said as Taiwan is a global leader in medical care and disease prevention, excluding Taipei from sharing its experiences at the WHA is a "loss for the world" and unfair to the people of Taiwan.

Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China, was expelled from the WHO in 1972 after losing its seat in the United Nations when the U.N. switched recognition to the People's Republic of China.

Taiwan participated in WHA events as an observer from 2009-2016 under the designation "Chinese Taipei" when relations between Beijing and Taipei were warmer under Taiwan's previous ruling party Kuomintang.

However, since 2017 Taiwan has been excluded from the WHA due to opposition from China, which has taken a hard line against President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Democratic Progressive Party for its advocacy of Taiwan's sovereignty as an independent state.