The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) says Taiwan is preparing to attend the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Switzerland this May. That’s the word from foreign ministry official Michael Hsu on Tuesday.
Taiwan has been attending the WHA as an observer since 2009. Whether the country will be invited to attend again this year is especially significant in the aftermath of Taiwan’s recent general elections in which the ruling party Kuomintang (KMT) was defeated. The KMT is generally seen as the political party favoring closer ties with China. China views Taiwan as part of its territory despite it being governed separately for more than 60 years. China opposes Taiwan joining any international organizations.
Meanwhile, foreign ministry official Hsu said heads of major Taiwanese companies will attend the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in San Francisco next week. The group includes multinational smartphone manufacturer HTC Chairperson Cher Wang and other high tech leaders. Hsu said this event will allow Taiwan to interact with other APEC member countries and take part in regional economic integration.