The United States and several of its allies issued a joint statement calling for Taiwan to be allowed to take part in a key meeting of the World Health Organization next week. Taiwan is excluded from most international organizations due to objections from China, which considers the island its own territory. The statement argued that inviting Taiwan to participate would best exemplify the WHO’s commitment to an inclusive approach to international health cooperation. Taiwan previously attended the WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016, but China began blocking its participation in 2017 after President Tsai Ing-wen took office.
China’s refusal to allow Taiwan to participate in the WHA has caused tensions between the two nations, with the United States and other allies calling for Taiwan to be included. Taiwan’s Health Minister announced that a delegation would travel to Geneva for meetings on the sidelines with friendly countries. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister blamed China for Taiwan’s exclusion, stating that health should not be politicized and that Taiwan’s sovereignty cannot be sacrificed. The joint statement issued by the de facto embassies of the United States and other nations in Taipei argued that Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHA undermines global public health cooperation and security.
China has opposed Taiwan’s participation at the WHA due to Taiwan’s refusal to agree to China’s position that both China and Taiwan are part of “one China”. China’s foreign ministry stated that since Taiwan’s government does not accept the “one China” principle, there is no political basis for its participation in the WHA. Taiwan’s government has argued that Beijing has no right to speak for or represent Taiwan on the international stage. The inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who took office on Monday, has further strained relations between China and Taiwan, with Beijing launching war games near the island in response.
The WHO has stated that Taiwan’s participation in the WHA is a matter for member states to decide, and that it facilitates the involvement of Taiwanese experts in WHO technical activities. The exclusion of Taiwan from the WHA has been criticized as unjustified and detrimental to global health cooperation. The joint statement by the United States and its allies called for Taiwan to be allowed to participate as an observer in the WHA, emphasizing the importance of inclusive global public health cooperation. Despite China’s objections, the push for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHA highlights the ongoing diplomatic tensions between China, Taiwan, and the international community.
