US backs calls for Taiwan to be observer at World Health Assembly
- US health secretary says voice of island’s people should be heard at forum
The United States has supported calls for Taiwan to be granted observer status at the World Health Organisation’s annual gathering, the US health secretary said on Monday.
Alex Azar was in Geneva, Switzerland, for the start of the WHO’s annual assembly, which China has prevented Taiwan from attending. Beijing claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan under its one-China policy, which the US acknowledged in 1972.
For years, Beijing allowed Taiwan to send observers to the assembly, but has locked out its envoys in recent years amid tensions between the mainland’s communist government and the island’s pro-independence government of President Tsai Ing-wen.
“We support Taiwan having the type of status it had previously here at the World Health Assembly,” Azar said.
“We think it’s important that 23 million individuals have a voice and are able to see the proceedings here and be part of that as appropriate, as consistent with past practices.”