President Tsai Ing-wen said April 28 that as global medical challenges know no borders, Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly directly concerns its citizens’ right to health, which should not be undermined for any reason.
The assistance and support of the U.S. and other like-minded countries for the country’s continued involvement in the WHA—the decision-making body of the World Health Organization—demonstrates widespread recognition of its contributions to global health, the president said, adding that Taiwan is an indispensable partner for the international community.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Moriarty met with the president during a seven-day trip to Taiwan concluding April 29, his second visit since becoming AIT chair last October.
According to Moriarty, the U.S. recognizes the leadership Taiwan has shown on major global health issues. It strongly supports Taiwan’s participation in the WHA as an observer so it can make further meaningful and substantive contributions to international medical programs, he said.
Taiwan was invited in 2009 by the WHO to take part as an observer in the annual WHA in Geneva, Switzerland, following 38 years of exclusion. The country has since shared its extensive expertise in areas such as providing universal health care coverage and managing outbreaks of contagious diseases.
Tsai took to Twitter April 29 to outline the significance of the nation’s continued participation in the body. In addition to thanking the international community for its support, the president highlighted Taiwan’s commitment to assisting other countries in tackling major medical challenges and promoting health programs around the world.
In view of the country’s important role in global health promotion, Taiwan should not be excluded from this year’s WHA for any reason, she wrote.
During her meeting with Moriarty, the president said Taiwan and the U.S. will continue to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian aid as well as a variety of other fields spanning counterterrorism, digital economy, regional security and trade. Besides deepening the friendship and mutual trust between the two sides, these collaborative exchanges will help expand Taiwan’s international space, she added. (KH-E)
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