Despite being confined to her wheelchair, 86-year-old Taiwanese Yu We-yu (
"I am here to say `go, go, go' for Taiwan's bid. I hope we can make it despite China's stark opposition," Yu said, the eldest member of an unprecedented large-scale contingency of Taiwanese nationals that gathered in a downtown hotel in Geneva yesterday to boost Taiwan's bid.
Prior to departure, the younger Yu, dean of the School of Dentistry at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, asked his secretary to make him name cards printed with slogans such as "Help Taiwan into WHO, Please!!"
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Yu and her son are not alone.
Hundreds of Taiwanese from medical associations in Taiwan, Japan, North America, Europe and members of the Federation of Taiwanese Associations in Europe, as well the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce, have descended on Geneva for the week-long World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting.
Wu Shuh-min (
"Since our alliance's first experience here during Taiwan's bid in 1997, we knew it would not be an easy task. But now I am very thrilled to see that we no longer have only one group supporting the move," said Wu, who is also national policy adviser to President Chen Shui-bian (
Wu Yung-tung (
Besides the gathering in the morning, hundreds of the participants also conducted an outdoor campaign yesterday afternoon in front of the Place des Nations with colorful banners and placards with campaign slogans such as "Taiwan for WHO" written in various languages. The crowd chanted and sang Taiwanese folksongs including Move Forward (往前走) and If I Open My Eyes and Minds (阮若打開心內門窗).
Participants in the morning's events also shared their experiences in helping boost Taiwan's chances by utilizing their various connections and networks in the international medical community.
For instance, a Europe-based renowned expert in acupuncture has helped connect the local Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce with the health minister in his home country, which has been highly conducive to lobbying efforts a source said.
Additionally, more than 200 Taiwanese graduates from the Harvard School of Public Health helped collect 155 signatures from Harvard professors for a petition supporting Taiwan's bid presented to WHO Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland, said Chang Fu-mei (張富美), minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.
Brundtland, a doctor from Norway, is also a Harvard School of Public Health graduate.
"We are indeed gathering momentum," Chang said, adding that the establishment of the Taiwan Medical Association in Japan in March is another example of overseas Taiwanese getting involved in the bid efforts.
Wu Shuh-min, who has only missed one WHA meeting since Taiwan's bid efforts began in 1997, said he has seen incremental progress in Taiwan's efforts, particularly in the interactions between the government and civil groups.
"While foreign ministry officials were rather cool to us when we were here for the first time in 1997 ... we are now enjoying an increasingly closer relationship with the foreign ministry," Wu said.
Wu also urged participants to continue making contributions to Taiwan's bid in the future in the event the WHO steering committee decides today to not put the issue on the assembly agenda.
"If we don't make it tomorrow [today], we should strive harder ... with each one of you committed to make further contributions to related lobbies in various countries," Wu said.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
RSS