Taiwan slams WHO's 'indifference' after failing woefully to enter key meeting
24 May, 2021
Taiwan's federal government slammed the World Wellbeing Organization's (Who have) "indifference" to medical rights of Taiwanese people and for capitulating to China on Monday (May 24) after failing woefully to receive invited to a gathering of its decision-making human body.
Taiwan is excluded from most global organisations including the WHO as a result of the objections of China, which considers the island one of its provinces rather than a country.
Taiwan, with the good backing of key Western powers, have been lobbying for usage of the WHO's World Wellbeing Assembly, which opens on Mon, as an observer.
In a joint statement by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, Taiwan's government said that they might continue to seek participation.
"As a specialist international health human body, the Who have should serve medical and welfare of most humanity rather than capitulate to the political pursuits of a particular member," Chen said, discussing China.
Wu expressed regret at the "Who also Secretariat's continued indifference to medical rights of Taiwan's 23.5 million people".
China says Taiwan can only just participate if it accepts it is part of "a single China", which Taipei won't do, and that only Beijing includes a right to speak for Taiwan on the international level. It says Taiwan possesses in any case been given the get access to it needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taiwan's statement stated China was falsely declaring that appropriate arrangements have already been made for Taiwan's Who also participation, adding that only the island's democratically elected authorities can speak because of its people.
Taiwan urges the WHO to "maintain a specialist and neutral stance, reject China's political interference, and invite Taiwan to join Who exactly meetings, mechanisms, and actions so that you can protect the welfare of humanity and jointly combat disease".
As the WHO cooperates with Taiwan's technical authorities on COVID-19, it is up to member claims whether to invite Taiwan to observe the WHO getting together with, the WHO's principal legal officer Steve Solomon said last week.
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