Taiwan’s envoy to Sweden, Klement Ruey-sheng Gu, on Monday (May 15) called on the country to back Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO).

Gu also said Stockholm should push the EU to facilitate Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Assembly in an opinion article published in the Swedish newspaper Nya Wermlands-Tidningen. He cited Swedish Foreign minister Tobias Billstrom’s previous comment that the Nordic nation advocates Taiwan’s participation in the WHO work and “appreciates Taiwan’s important contribution to global health” as evidence of government support.

Taiwan currently does not have the opportunity to share or access virus-related information from other countries via the WHO, Gu said. “If Taiwan is invited to the World Health Assembly (WHA), the distance between Taiwan and the WHO can be reduced and care can be provided more efficiently,” he said.

“This palpable disconnection has not only been a loss for Taiwan but also for the outside world,” he added.

Taiwan was the first to notify the WHO of suspected cases of “atypical pneumonia” in China, and later donated life-saving surgical masks and other necessary medical equipment to over 80 countries, the representative said.

He pointed out that in 2021, CEO World ranked Taiwan’s healthcare system as the second best in the world, and in Numbeo’s Health Care Index, Taiwan ranked first out of 95 countries.

Taiwan’s application as an observer in the WHA has nothing to do with the recognition of its statehood or membership in the UN, the representative said.

The 76th WHA is slated to take place from May 21-30 in Geneva, Switzerland. Despite not receiving an invitation to the global health meeting, Taiwan will send a delegation led by Health minister Hsueh Jui-yuan, which will include National Health Insurance Administration director-General Shih Chung-liang and Centers for Disease Control deputy director general Lo Yi-chun.

On Sunday (May 14), a Swedish parliamentary delegation arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit. The group will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other high-level government officials to exchange views on common issues.

The lawmakers will also visit medical, educational, and cultural institutions and facilities to understand Taiwan’s democratic and socio-economic development.

After a general election in October, the new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, expressed concern over peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed China’s use of military threats for the first time, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4892917

Category: Taiwan