By Caribbean News Global 
USA/TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan, allies and friends continue to make representation to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 194 Member States during the World Health Assembly #WHA 73rd session that resumed Monday, November 9 until November 14.
Combating COVID-19: Taiwan Can Help, Taiwan is Helping, “through a democratic model of pandemic management. Through transparency, we win trust. Through public-private partnerships, we build solidarity. Recover better together. Health for all.”
On Monday, November 9, former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemned China for playing politics with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and barring Taiwan from the World Health Assembly (WHA).
In a tweet also addressed to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the former Danish prime minister praised Taiwan’s performance in the battle against the pandemic while slamming China for its politically motivated response.
“Seven COVID-19 deaths without harsh lockdowns. We have much to learn from them. It’s indefensible that China plays geopolitics with our health,” Rasmussen tweeted.
Former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen supports Taiwan’s case for participation in WHA. (Twitter, Anders Fogh Rasmussen photo)
He also noted that support for Taiwan’s case is growing, with 644 legislators and members of European parliament from 25 countries having called on the WHO to include the island nation in its WHA meeting.
Diplomats from several countries, including the United States, also expressed their governments’ support for Taiwan’s participation in the global health body.
Similar, On Monday, November 9, US permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva Andrew Bremberg made a 3-minute video in support of Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Association (WHA) and World Health Organization (WHO) stated: “We believe Taiwan’s inclusion would benefit the world and the WHO,” he added. “The 23 million people living on Taiwan are excluded from the important work of this body” and lamented that “The international community is not allowed to benefit from the expertise offered by Taiwan,” added. “In preventing Taiwan’s participation, the WHO is allowing some to politicize public health and allowing its core mission to suffer.”
Bremberg urged the director-general of the global health body to invite the island nation to the WHA as an observer and allow it to participate in the WHO’s work, just as it did from 2009 to 2016.
“The 23 million people living on Taiwan are excluded from the important work of this body” and lamented that “The international community is not allowed to benefit from the expertise offered by Taiwan,” Bremberg continued. “In preventing Taiwan’s participation, the WHO is allowing some to politicize public health and allowing its core mission to suffer.”
Bremberg then urged the director-general of the global health body to invite the island nation to the WHA as an observer and allow it to participate in the WHO’s work, just as it did from 2009 to 2016. Bremberg also shared a picture on Monday via the US Mission to Geneva’s Twitter account showing him posing next to a “Taiwan can help” sign in front of the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Many allies and friendly nations have spoken up for Taiwan, Beijing’s “one China principle” has taken precedence over the organization’s goal of “health for all” and prevented Taiwan from joining.
On Tuesday WHO director-general called on the world to ‘choose health’ at 73rd World Health Assembly said: “Although the question of Taiwanese membership in WHO and its participation in the World Health Assembly remains a question for Member States, WHO works with all health authorities who are facing the current coronavirus pandemic, including Taiwanese health experts.”
Related: Support Taiwan’s inclusion in the post-COVID-19 global public health network
Support Taiwan’s inclusion in the post-COVID-19 global public health network
