Taiwan said a lack of information had hampered its response to Covid-19. Photo: Reuters
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https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3172861/us-discusses-opportunities-taiwan-take-part-who-meeting Diplomacy
US discusses ‘opportunities’ for Taiwan to take part in WHO meeting
- The island is excluded from most international organisations because of objections from Beijing, which views it as its own territory
- Washington says the discussions include Taipei’s possible participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly meeting next month
Beijing opposes a role for Taiwan at the WHO and other international bodies. Photo: AFP
US and Taiwanese officials have held talks on expanding Taiwan’s international participation, including “opportunities” for the island to attend a major World Health Organization meeting next month.
Taiwan is excluded from most global organisations due to objections from mainland China, which considers it one of its provinces and not a separate country. In particular, Taipei has complained that exclusion from the WHO has hampered efforts to fight the Coivd-19 pandemic.
The US State Department said on Friday that the meeting took place in Washington between high-level diplomats including assistant secretary for international organisation affairs Michele J. Sison and Taiwan’s de facto US ambassador Hsiao Bi-khim.
“This discussion focused on opportunities for Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly in May and the possibilities for Taiwan’s participation at the International Civil Aviation Organization,” it added, referring to another United Nations body.
Taiwan attended the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body, as an observer from 2009-2016 when Taipei-Beijing relations warmed. But Beijing blocked further participation after the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing views as a separatist – a charge she rejects.
The Group of Seven advanced industrialised countries has backed calls for Taiwan’s participation at the WHO. Beijing and the WHO say Taiwan has been given appropriate access to Covid-19 information.
The State Department added that at Thursday’s meeting the two sides also discussed Taiwan’s contributions through its membership or “meaningful participation” in other multilateral forums.
“All participants recognised the importance of working closely with all those who share our concerns regarding attempts to exclude Taiwan from contributing its expertise, resources, energy, and generosity to the international community.”
Last month, Chen Xu, China’s ambassador to the UN mission in Geneva, where the WHO is based, said Taiwan was a Chinese province with no justification to be represented in global bodies.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu shot back in a tweet: “Lying all the time! You might as well claim the moon.”