Taiwan's exclusion from WHA a global health and diplomatic issue: FM

Geneva, May 17 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Sunday that Taiwan's continued absence from the World Health Assembly (WHA) is not only a global health issue but also a diplomatic one, which is why medical experts from around the world participate in the events that Taiwan usually holds in Geneva each year to coincide with the WHA.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Lin said Taiwan has been unable to attend the annual WHA for the 10th consecutive year "primarily due to diplomatic pressure from China."

"Therefore, the issue is not simply a global health one but also a diplomatic one," said Lin, the first Taiwanese foreign minister to participate in the events in Geneva held by Taiwan to coincide with the WHA.

Taiwan's absence from the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body is "unfair" and "a loss for the world," he said, pointing out the sharp contrast between Taiwan's and China's responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Taiwan's ultimate goal is to return to the WHA, its efforts to hold simultaneous events in Geneva are aimed at giving it greater visibility worldwide, Lin said.

During the process, health and medical experts from many countries, who gather annually in Geneva for the WHA, also attend the Taiwan events, because "they do not want to miss any opportunity to speak out for Taiwan and let Taiwan's voices be heard," the foreign minister added.

The 79th WHA, scheduled for May 18-23 in Geneva, brings together representatives of WHO member states to set global health policies and priorities.

For the 10th consecutive year, Taiwan has not received an invitation to attend, and China said last week that it had decided not to agree to the "Taiwan region" participating in this year's WHA.

Taiwan has not attended the WHA since 2016, when it participated as an observer during a period of warmer ties with Beijing.

Instead, Taiwan has been staging events each year to coincide with the assembly in Geneva, where the WHO is headquartered and the WHA is usually held.

This is the first time that a Taiwanese foreign minister is attending the Taiwan events alongside the country's health minister.

Organized jointly by Taiwan's foreign affairs and health ministries, the events this year feature an exhibition of Taiwan's smart healthcare innovations and overseas medical aid programs.

On Sunday, Lin and Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) toured the Taiwan Smart Medical & HealthTech Expo, which is being held at a Geneva hotel through Tuesday.

The exhibition features several of Taiwan's leading medical centers and 30 Taiwanese companies that specialize in smart and innovative healthcare.

It also includes a special section that highlights Taiwan's humanitarian and healthcare assistance to its diplomatic allies and friendly countries. That section is organized by TaiwanICDF, the country's main foreign aid agency.

At the expo, Lin and Shih witnessed the signing of an MOU between TaiwanICDF and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to jointly provide psychological support and rehabilitation services for Ukrainian amputees injured in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.