Taiwan’s push to rejoin WHO as observer gets a boost from US Senate
- Bill backing the self-ruled island’s push to reclaim its status is unanimously approved
- It calls for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to develop strategy for Taipei to take part in decision-making body, which meets next week
Taiwan’s efforts to regain observer status with the World Health Organisation have received a boost from the US Senate after it passed a bill supporting the self-ruled island’s push.
The bill, drafted by senators Jim Inhofe and Bob Menendez and unanimously approved on Monday, calls for US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to develop a strategy to enable the democratic island to get back its observer status in the global health body.
Taiwan was an observer in the World Health Assembly – the WHO’s decision-making body which will meet next week – from 2009 to 2016 when Ma Ying-jeou, of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang, was president and engaging with Beijing.
But that changed when Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, became president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle, with Beijing blocking Taipei from the WHO as part of efforts to isolate the island.
Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province that must return to the mainland fold, by force if necessary. It has said the island needs consent from Beijing to take part in the WHA because Taiwan is part of China.
