Taiwan’s legislators assembled to show nonpartisan support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday. Legislators say that Taiwan’s close proximity to China and its effective preventative measures offers the WHO and World Health Assembly (WHA) valuable insight into fighting the COVID-19 outbreak.
Legislators from the ruling and opposition parties advocated for Taiwan’s participation in both mechanisms. They say that the WHO is the most important health care organization in the world. The WHO should not exclude Taiwan on political grounds, especially since Taiwan enjoys one of the best health care systems globally.
Legislators also urged the WHO not to list Taiwan as part of China. Over the past few weeks, many countries have imposed travel restrictions and bans on China. Often times, Taiwan will be roped into the same restrictions due to the WHO’s classification of the country as a region of China.
The legislators says that many countries at the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board spoke about Taiwan's contributions toward the prevention of COVID-19. They say that the WHO should listen to the international community and allow Taiwan to participate without restriction.