Health delegation's arrival with backdrop of carrier strike group signals greater US commitment to come

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/08/11
By: Yang Sen-hong, human rights activist and public health expert, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

In the next stage of the pandemic era, Taiwan must reach out to share its health expertise internationally, all the while maintaining economic growth and keeping the coronavirus at bay; the visit of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and his delegation signifies Taiwan is already taking steps in the right direction.

Another positive indicator is former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori making his first-ever one-day trip to Taipei to pay tribute to the late president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). The trip reflects Japan’s staunch support for Taiwan and serves as a diplomatic precedent for other world leaders.

Meanwhile, the nation must be a careful steward of its economy and accept that opening up the border in some form is inevitable. The lockdown is unsustainable, and even a strong economy cannot afford it.

Over the past seven months, multiple vaccines that produce antibodies — as well as other treatments — have been developed, paving the way for the lifting of the lockdown. Both the U.S. and Taiwan are in this race, and the U.S. health delegation has conveyed its view that Taiwan is capable of playing one of the leading roles in a global health paradigm shift.
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