Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on health-related issues.
Chen said signing the MOU is a big step forward in Taiwan-US relations. The minister also said that he had first brought up the idea with Azar and US health officials during last year’s World Health Assembly.”
Azar called his visit to Taiwan a “wonderful opportunity to learn about Taiwan's world-class response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” and praised Minister Chen and his team, as well as the people of Taiwan, for the success of the “Taiwan Model.”
The Taiwan Model refers to Taiwan’s use of transparency and open-source information to combat COVID-19.
Azar also said that Taiwan and the United States share more than 20 years of public health cooperation, including fighting the 2003 SARS outbreak, conducting cancer research, and developing vaccines.
Azar also spoke about US efforts over the past four years in pushing for Taiwan to become an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA).
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said that Azar and Taiwan’s health authorities would not be discussing the possibility of establishing an alternative to the World Health Organization, as has been rumored.