Taiwan has been invited to participate in a global health forum organized by the World Health Organization online. The forum is aimed at tackling the novel coronavirus that has already killed over 1,000 people and infected more than 42,000, most of whom are in China, the center of the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the WHO, several Taiwanese experts have been invited to attend the forum online under the name “Taipei.” The two-day forum opened on Tuseday afternoon.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou Tuesday called the invitation extended to Taiwan “meaningful progress.” Ou said the invitation indicates that international calls for Taiwan’s bid to participate in the health body have effectively prompted WHO to recognize the need to do so.
Ou said Taiwan will continue to seek to attend all virus-related meetings and participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer.
Taiwan has been barred from joining the WHO due to pressure from China.