As the World Health Assembly’s annual meeting approaches, support for Taiwan’s inclusion as an observer is coming in from Japan, the EU, and Australia.
The World Health Assembly is the WHO’s decision-making body. Taiwan previously attended the annual assembly meetings as an observer. However, China has blocked Taiwan from the meetings in recent years.
Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, has said that Japan will do all it can to promote Taiwan’s inclusion in this year’s meeting.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou thanked Japan for its support and friendship on Thursday. Ou said that Taiwan looks forward to deepening its cooperation with Japan in fighting COVID-19 and sharing information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, 104 members of the European Parliament and four German lawmakers sent a joint letter to the health ministers of EU member states backing Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHA.
The letter urges the EU’s national health ministers to support observer status credentials for Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung during the meeting. It also calls on the WHO to include Taiwan in all its meetings, mechanisms, and events.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Australia reiterated its support for Taiwan’s inclusion as a WHA observer.