Taiwan’s foreign ministry says that China’s efforts to block Taiwan from attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) is depriving people of their right to health. That’s according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou, who called out China’s actions against Taiwan on Thursday.
Taiwan has still not received an invitation to attend the WHA, which is the main decision-making body of the World Health Organization. The assembly is set to meet next month, between May 22 to 28.
Ou says that China’s refusal to support Taiwan’s attendance puts politics ahead of people’s health. She says that these are the actions of a totalitarian government, and that Taiwan will continue to rally more support from democratic leaders.
Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have supported its bid to attend the WHA, as have an increasing number of other members.
Ou adds that it’s critical for Taiwan to attend the WHA during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says that participating in the WHA will allow Taiwan’s government to provide the best health care for its people.