《TAIPEI TIMES》 European lawmakers back WHA bid

‘KIDNAPPED BY CHINA’: Latvian lawmakers sent a letter to the WHO director-general, while the German Bundestag and Czech Senate passed resolutions in favor of Taiwan

By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter

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Lawmakers from Germany and the Czech Republic have separately passed resolutions in support of Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Assembly （WHA）, with Latvian lawmakers saying that the WHO should not be “kidnapped by China’s ‘hostage diplomacy’” at the cost of Taiwanese’s right to health.

The 76th WHA, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, is to be held from Sunday to May 30 in Geneva, Switzerland. Taiwan has not been invited.

The German Bundestag on Friday passed a resolution by an overwhelming majority, calling on its government to support Taiwan’s participation in the WHA as an observer.

The resolution was proposed by the three parties from Germany’s coalition government, and passed with 497 votes in favor, 68 votes against and 25 abstentions.

The resolution calls for a financial and structural reform of the WHO in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to make it more effective in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

It urges Berlin to continue working as a WHO member state to ensure Taiwan’s participation in the WHA and other committees and activities of the WHO.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the Bundestag for demonstrating its firm support of Taiwan.

Sixteen lawmakers belonging to the Latvia-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group on Thursday also voiced support for Taiwan in a letter addressed to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“By continuing to refuse to grant Taiwan observer status at the WHA and full access to its meetings, mechanisms, and activities, the WHO fails to fulfill the principles of universality and equality established in the WHO Constitution as well as the ethical standards of the organization,” the letter said.

It acknowledged Taiwan’s “remarkable medical achievements and professionalism in global public health and medical care,” while condemning “the unfairness and absurdity” of Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHA.

“It is especially unfortunate that the WHO has been kidnapped by China’s ‘hostage diplomacy’ and ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ at the cost of fundamental rights to health of 23.5 million Taiwanese for decades,” the letter said.

Taiwan worked with partners around the world to combat COVID-19, providing 55 million masks and other medical supplies to more than 80 countries and international organizations, it said.

Taiwan also donated 27 tonnes of medical supplies and 700 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, as well as more than US$41 million to neighboring countries to help settle refugees, the letter added.

The Czech Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, including the WHO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Civil Aviation Organization and Interpol.

Including Taiwan in the activities of these international organizations “is key to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring the stability of world trade and supply chains,” the resolution said.

Taiwan’s participation could “significantly improve the solution of global problems” such as climate change and international crime, it said.

The ministry thanked the Czech Senate for passing a pro-Taiwan resolution ahead of the WHA for a third consecutive year.

Yesterday, it said that like-minded countries’ support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHA is of great encouragement for the nation.

The ministry called on the WHO to uphold professionalism and impartiality, and not tolerate China’s political interference.

To safeguard the health and well-being of all people, the WHO should allow Taiwan’s participation as an equal and with dignity in all WHO meetings, activities and mechanisms, it added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES