Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Assembly (WHA) and other international organizations is “unacceptable,” visiting Swedish lawmaker Markus Wiechel said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday.
Wiechel is leading a delegation of Swedish lawmakers — Sara Gille, Nima Gholam Ali Pour and Rasmus Giertz — to Taiwan on a six-day visit that ends today.
While most of the free world considers Taiwan “a significant international player in trade and democracy,” the nation is excluded from many important international organizations, he said.
Photo: CNA
“This is completely unacceptable,” he added.
He and his colleagues have voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHA, the International Criminal Police Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization at several international occasions, and would continue to do so, Wiechel said.
He echoed visiting former British prime minister Liz Truss’ remark that Taiwan is a beacon of democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, saying: “I couldn’t agree more.”
Despite Taiwan being a relatively young democracy, it is “one of the strongest, most stable and well-functioning democracies in the world,” he said, calling it an “impressive achievement” that Taiwanese should be proud of.
It is crucial for like-minded democracies to work together, especially when totalitarian forces are growing stronger and more hostile, which is why the delegation decided to visit Taiwan, Wiechel said.
Taiwan and Sweden can benefit from deeper cooperation in fields based on the values the two sides share, including peace, freedom, democracy, universal human rights and the rule of law, he said.
The delegation learned about Taiwan’s efficient healthcare system, its impressive education system and much more during the trip, he added.
“It’s obviously not just a coincidence that Taiwan is a world-leading country in technological innovation and many other fields,” Wiechel said.
“We must increase our bilateral cooperation,” as what the delegation had learned during the past few days made him more certain that Sweden has a lot to learn about Taiwan, he said.
Tsai thanked Sweden for its support for Taiwan, including passing a resolution to support closer ties with the nation in April last year, when a delegation of Swedish lawmakers visited Taiwan, despite Chinese opposition.
Bilateral trade between Taiwan and Sweden exceeded US$1.7 billion last year, an increase of 12 percent from the previous year, she said.
The countries have been seeking more opportunities to cooperate in fields such as climate change and supply chain security, she added.
Tsai called on the delegation to support a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and the EU to boost cooperation, as well as the confidence of businesses from both sides in investing in the other.
Taiwan is a force for good in international society, and is a capable and trustworthy partner that can help with pandemic prevention, disaster relief and supply chain security, she said.
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