January 23, 2020
No.028
In its latest situation report concerning developments of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the World Health Organization lists confirmed cases reported by Taiwan as being from “Taiwan, China.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Delegation in Geneva to lodge a solemn protest with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and demand that the organization make appropriate corrections.
MOFA believes that, as an international organization with a professional billing for health, the World Health Organization should resist political pressure and take a neutral stance in carrying out the WHO Constitution’s call to help achieve “the highest attainable standard of health.” Yet WHO has once again submitted to China’s unreasonable demand to make accepting its so-called one-China principle a precondition for bringing Taiwan into the global disease prevention system. This is tantamount to having politics hang as a sword over the health of Taiwan’s 23 million people. MOFA expresses its strongest protest and dissatisfaction with this stance.
MOFA further stresses that international cooperative efforts to combat disease should not leave out Taiwan. Taiwan is located on the frontlines of the fight against novel infections, and has a strong, advanced healthcare and disease-fighting network. It can make concrete contributions. Diseases know no borders, and disease prevention brooks no loopholes. Politics should not take precedence over human security.
MOFA demands that WHO rectify its inappropriate listing of Taiwan, and calls on the organization to remain professional and invite Taiwan’s experts to attend all meetings concerning fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus. (E)