‘UNWILLING TO HEAR’: The WHO director-general was polite toward the minister of health and welfare, but he neglected Taiwan’s appeals, an unnamed source said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 09, 2018
By: Lu Yi-hsuan  /  Staff reporter

One critical factor in whether Taiwan will be invited to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer is the attitude of WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an official familiar with the matter has said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Saturday said that Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to the 71st WHA, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 21 to May 26, adding that it has officially asked its diplomatic allies to petition the international organization on its behalf.

Taiwan last attended the WHA in May 2016, days after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party took office, and China has since been pressuring international organizations to exclude Taiwan from such meetings.

Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and friendly nations, including international organizations from the US and European nations, have voiced support for Taiwan, and on World Health Day last week sent a letter to Tedros, proposing to invite Taiwan to the WHA this year.
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