US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar is set to visit Taiwan.
He will become the first member of the US Cabinet to come to Taiwan since 2014, and the highest ranking Cabinet member to visit Taiwan since the breaking off of formal US-Taiwan ties in 1979.
Both the foreign ministry and Presidential Office have welcomed Azar’s planned visit, noting his support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO.
Azar will meet with senior Taiwanese health officials, Taiwanese healthcare workers, Taiwanese public health experts, and other Taiwanese partners. Together, they will discuss disease-prevention policy, global health, the Taiwan-US partnership, and Taiwan’s position as a reliable supplier of medical equipment and key medical technology.
In addition, Azar will also address students of public health and graduates of a training program set up by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.