Visiting US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar says Taiwan is a model for disease prevention. Azar made the statement while meeting with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Tuesday.
Azar is leading a delegation to visit Taiwan. He said he is honored to bring President Donald Trump’s best wishes to Taiwan and to recognize Taiwan’s leading role in public health. Azar also said in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has many achievements it can be proud of.
"The United States believes that Taiwan’s accomplishments should be recognized on the world stage and that Taiwan should be able to share these lessons and its world-class expertise in international forum. I made that point repeatedly at the World Health Organization Taiwan for which has been excluded as an observer for the last four years, especially during the pandemic. But at all times international organizations should not be places to play politics, especially on health care," said Azar.
Azar also said international organizations should be a platform for promoting constructive and open dialogue and cooperation. He also praised Taiwan for showing that an open society and transparent government can effectively fight diseases.