Taiwan's strategy in seeking inclusion in the World Health Organ-ization as an observer has yet to be set in stone, but officials yesterday expressed optimism in light of the passage of a US Senate bill supporting Taiwan's bid.
"I am happy to be able to share good news with everyone -- the US Senate passed a bill in favor of Taiwan's bid for participation at the World Health Assembly [WHA]," Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
The bill, which authorizes the Secretary of State to initiate a plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the upcoming annual WHA summit in Geneva, cleared the House of Representatives on April 21 and was passed by the Senate on May 6.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In light of the US support, Chen explained that officials were considering the possibility of asking diplomatic allies to call for a vote during the assembly's plenary session asking that Taiwan's bid be added to the World Health Assembly's agenda later this month.
In previous years, the General Committee has blocked placement of Taiwan's bid for observership on the World Health Assembly's agenda, preventing the application from reaching a vote.
Taiwan in 1997 asked diplomatic allies to call for a vote on adding Taiwan to the assembly's agenda. According to Chen, when the assembly voted on Taiwan's inclusion on the agenda, the vote had been 120 opposed, 19 in favor and 5 abstentions.
"We're still not 100 percent sure that we will ask our allies to call for a vote this year. We need to get a better grasp of the number of votes that will be in support of Taiwan before deciding," Chen said.
"Putting Taiwan's bid up for a vote by the Assembly will allow more nations to really consider the meaning behind Taiwan's participation," Department of Health Director General Chen Chien-jen (
In addition, Chen Chien-jen also announced yesterday that this year's WHO bid would focus on four primary points: Taiwan's right to health should not be subject to political interference, Taiwan's public health experience can benefit other nations, Taiwan is willing to contribute resources to global health and humanitarian needs, and Taiwan is willing to participate in all WHO health initiatives.
However, Mark Chen said that this year's bid was different from last year's, due to explicit support from the US.
"This year is unique, because US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly said the US will support Taiwan's bid no matter the strategy implemented," Mark Chen said.
During testimony in a hearing on Taiwan, conducted by the House International Relations Committee, Kelly spoke in support of Taiwan's bid, saying that "Taiwan's problem obtaining observer status is certainly not due to a lack of US commitment."
Mark Chen also commented that Japan would take into consideration the US' lead in supporting Taiwan. Japan has already expressed that its support this year "will not be less than previous years."
If China decides to apply for Taiwan's participation as an associate member, this would be "politicizing" Taiwan's WHO bid, which is unacceptable, Mark Chen said.
Both Mark Chen and Chen Chien-jen yesterday warned that while the public should be hopeful, obtaining WHO observership this year would be a difficult task.
ENDEAVOR MANTA: The ship is programmed to automatically return to its designated home port and would self-destruct if seized by another party The Endeavor Manta, Taiwan’s first military-specification uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) tailor-made to operate in the Taiwan Strait in a bid to bolster the nation’s asymmetric combat capabilities made its first appearance at Kaohsiung’s Singda Harbor yesterday. Taking inspiration from Ukraine’s navy, which is using USVs to force Russia’s Black Sea fleet to take shelter within its own ports, CSBC Taiwan (台灣國際造船) established a research and development unit on USVs last year, CSBC chairman Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘) said. With the exception of the satellite guidance system and the outboard motors — which were purchased from foreign companies that were not affiliated with Chinese-funded
PERMIT REVOKED: The influencer at a news conference said the National Immigration Agency was infringing on human rights and persecuting Chinese spouses Chinese influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣) yesterday evening voluntarily left Taiwan, despite saying yesterday morning that she had “no intention” of leaving after her residence permit was revoked over her comments on Taiwan being “unified” with China by military force. The Ministry of the Interior yesterday had said that it could forcibly deport the influencer at midnight, but was considering taking a more flexible approach and beginning procedures this morning. The influencer, whose given name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), departed on a 8:45pm flight from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) to Fuzhou, China. Liu held a news conference at the airport at 7pm,
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
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 —
RSS