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Taiwan's health minister arrives in Geneva; to protest WHA exclusion

2017-05-21
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(Photo Courtesy of CNA)
(Photo Courtesy of CNA)
Geneva, May 20 (CNA) Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung arrived in Geneva on Saturday and hopes to meet with officials from countries participating in the World Health Assembly (WHA) while protesting to China over Taiwan's exclusion from this year's event.

Shortly after their arrival, Chen and his delegation were scheduled to hold meetings finalizing details of Taiwan's strategy to have its voice heard, and visit the Palace of Nations, the venue of the annual WHA meeting, later in the day.

Taiwan had hoped to attend this year's WHA in Geneva from May 22-31 as an observer, as it had done the past eight years, but it did not receive an invitation from the World Health Organization (WHO) because of China's opposition.

The WHA is the WHO's decision-making body and meets annually to discuss health issues of global concern and formulate policies.

Commenting on Taiwan's exclusion from this year's WHA meeting, Chen pledged that "I will definitely come (to the Palace of Nations) to attend the meeting next year."

He said the main mission of this trip will be to showcase Taiwan's soft power and "let the world hear Taiwan's voice."

Chen also said he will protest over Taiwan's exclusion from the WHA.

The health minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with representatives of WHA participating countries on Sunday and attend a reception held by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will hold an international news conference on Monday.

Speaking of this visit, Chen said he is looking to learn from other countries regarding health issues.

Prior to his departure, Chen reiterated the necessity for Taiwan to take part in the WHA.

He said officials of many countries have agreed to hold talks with his delegation while in Geneva but he would not name any of them.

Taiwan must also express its anger to China while in Geneva, he said.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, meanwhile, has received a proposal from 11 counties that the issue of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" be included on the agenda of the WHA meeting, according to a notice issued by the WHA on Friday.

But the notice came with a note stressing that Taiwan is referred to as "Taiwan, China" under WHO rules.

The 11 countries were Belize, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands, all of which are Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

A steering committee will convene on May 22 to discuss whether to put it on the agenda and made a suggestion to the general assembly for it to make a final decision, a Taiwanese foreign affairs official has said.

Even if the proposal is rejected, it will be read at the general assembly and the allies can express their views, the official said.

Taiwan decided to ask its diplomatic allies to submit the proposal after it was confirmed that Taiwan would not receive an invitation to the meeting this year even though several countries, including Japan, Canada and the United States, expressed support for Taiwan's bid to attend.

Taiwan first attended the WHA meeting as an observer in 2009, a year after former President Ma Ying-jeou came to power and pursued a more conciliatory policy toward Beijing.

Taiwan had taken part in every WHA meeting since then, until this year.

Its exclusion is widely seen as the latest move by China to clamp down on Taiwan's international participation, a strategy that has become more aggressive since President Tsai Ing-wen  of the Democratic Progressive Party, who is less conciliatory toward China, came to power in May 2016.

Cross-Taiwan Strait relations have cooled since Tsai took office, mainly due to her refusal to heed Beijing's calls to recognize the "1992 consensus" as the sole political foundation for cross-strait exchanges.

The "1992 consensus" refers to a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between China and Taiwan, which was then under a Kuomintang government, that there is only one China, with both sides free to interpret what that means.

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