MOFA: Beijing lies, putting Taiwanese health at risk

Taiwan’s foreign ministry has accused China of intentionally delaying the delivery of important information to Taiwan during emergency disease outbreak situations

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/04/26
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following a statement made by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) on April 25, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed anger and regret over China’s intentionally misleading information intended to play down the importance of Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA).

In a regular media briefing, Ma told media that Taiwan’s absence from the assembly won’t cause any complications for the region’s disease control network, and that the island will obtain real-time information on worldwide disease prevention and control, through arrangements with China and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ma was rebuked the next day by Taiwan’s foreign ministry, when an official stated that the Taiwanese health department’s Chinese counterpart has often been slow to update Taiwan with the latest outbreak warnings from WHO authorities, which has in turn put public health at risk in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]