FILE PHOTO: Taiwan flags might be seen at a sq. forward of the nationwide day celebration in Taoyuan, Taiwan, October 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang
WASHINGTON — Taiwan needs to be allowed to attend a World Well being Group meeting subsequent week, the U.S. State Division mentioned on Tuesday, arguing the democratically ruled island’s exclusion at China’s behest was unwarranted and a priority for international well being.
Taiwan is excluded from most international our bodies, together with the WHO, due to objections from China, which considers it one in every of its provinces and never a separate nation.
The self-governed island attended the World Well being Meeting, the WHO’s decision-making physique, as an observer from 2009 to 2016 when Taipei-Beijing relations warmed. However China blocked additional participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing views as a separatist – a cost she rejects.
State Division spokesman Ned Value mentioned the WHO broke years of precedent in 2017 when it failed to ask Taiwan to watch, and that Taiwan had distinctive experience and approaches that would profit the world.
“As we proceed to battle a pandemic, as we proceed to confront different public well being threats, Taiwan’s isolation from the world’s preeminent international well being discussion board is unwarranted. It represents, itself, a severe well being concern,” Value advised a daily information briefing.
“We consider there is no such thing as a affordable justification to exclude its participation,” he mentioned.
The WHO mentioned on Monday that it had acquired a proposal by 13 member states for Taiwan to affix subsequent week’s meeting as an observer, and {that a} determination can be made subsequent Monday on day two of the assembly.
However Taiwan’s overseas minister mentioned earlier this month he anticipated it will be “very tough” for Taiwan to get an invite.
America has no formal ties with Taiwan however is its largest arms provider and has been making an attempt to carve out more room for it within the worldwide system within the face of escalating efforts by Beijing to isolate Taipei.
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