The US on Thursday reiterated its backing for Taiwan to take part in world bodies, hailing Taiwan as a “force for good in the world” that deserves its strong support.
“We support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that do not require statehood. In organizations that require statehood for membership, the United States supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation,” Katina Adams, spokeswoman for the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in an e-mail.
“This includes ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization], Interpol, WHO and the more than 60 international organizations in which Taiwan participates,” she said.
The US remains committed to supporting Taiwan as it seeks to expand its already significant contributions to addressing global challenges, Adams said.
“We consider Taiwan to be a vital partner, a democratic success story and a force for good in the world. Taiwan shares our values, has earned our respect and continues to merit our strong support,” she said.
Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to attend this year’s annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decisionmaking body of the WHO, that is scheduled to be held from May 21 to May 26 in Geneva, Switzerland.
In related news, the director of a documentary produced to garner international support for Taiwan’s WHA attendance, said that he hoped his work could show the world how Taiwan has changed the future of a little girl.
The three-minute film, titled A Perfect Pair (阿巒的作文課), depicts the story of a Vietnamese girl, Nguyen Thi Loan, who traveled to Taiwan to receive treatment for congenital lymphedema with the help of donations from a Taiwanese business in Vietnam.
After undergoing surgery in Taiwan, Nguyen was spared amputation and given a new lease on life.
A Perfect Pair, which was released on March 31 and subtitled in seven languages, has garnered more than 6 million views.
Taiwan has contributed to global healthcare for several decades, but few people are aware of these contributions, said the film’s director, Hung Chu-yan (洪竹彥).
The production team chose to portray Nguyen’s story because it shows how a child’s future was changed because of Taiwan, Hung said, adding that the team had considered recounting the SARS outbreak in 2003.
Over the course of the shoot, the production team was able to witness Nguyen’s transformation into a child who can move on her own, Hung said.
Nguyen expressed her sincere gratitude and never complained about being tired, he said.
Her family also thanked Taiwan and treated Taiwan’s assistance as a miracle, he added.
A Perfect Pair has received good reviews from his Vietnamese friends, and provided a great opportunity for exchange and feedback, said Hung, who has filmed other stories based in Vietnam.
Taiwan has helped others in the past and it now needs help in its bid to participate in the WHO and the WHA, Hung said.
One of the principles in the WHO’s constitution states: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition,” said Hung, who featured these words in the final scene of the film.
Taiwan should also be included within the range set forth by this statement, he added.
The government hopes that viewers can take away two messages from the film — that Taiwan has an excellent standard of healthcare and that love knows no borders, said Henry Chen (陳銘政), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Information Services.
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