President Tsai Ing-wen met with visiting US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Monday morning. It was the highest level meeting between the Taiwan and the US governments since 1979.
Tsai called Azar's visit a big step forward for Taiwan and the United States’ joint efforts in fighting COVID-19. She thanked US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Azar "for their continued recognition of the Taiwan model's contribution to global anti-pandemic efforts, and for their strong support for Taiwan's international participation."
“Taiwan has proven that it can not only keep the pandemic outside of its borders, it also has the ability to help other nations fight the pandemic," said Tsai.
"I want to stress, once again, that political issues should not take precedence over the right to health. The World Health Assembly’s (WHA) exclusion of Taiwan is a violation of the universal right to health," she said.
The president said she hoped that Azar's visit will enable Taiwan and the US to discuss issues of interest face-to-face and can serve as a model for future collaboration.
During their meeting, Azar lauded Taiwan's efforts in containing COVID-19 and sharing information with other countries.
“The particular focus of both my discussions with President Tsai, and of our trip, is highlighting Taiwan’s success on health, in combating COVID-19, and cooperating with the United States to prevent, detect and respond to health threats," said Azar.
"Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 has been among the most successful in the world, and that is a tribute to the open, transparent, democratic nature of Taiwan’s society and culture," he said.