Parliamentarians from seven European nations commended Taiwan’s unique and landmark achievement of reaching a record 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19, underscoring its success in keeping the Wuhan virus under control as cases continue to escalate across the world
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New Delhi: In an encouraging move set to galvanize recognition and a rightful place for Taiwan in international agencies and bodies, more than 100 Parliamentarians from seven European nations have ushered support to Taipei. The stand taken by the lawmakers from the European nations comes amid reeling pressure and theatrics from China to disparage Taiwanese leadership and its successful fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The island nation of Taiwan has reached a record 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19, underscoring its success in keeping the Wuhan virus under control as cases continue to escalate across the world.
In aegis of recognizing Taiwan’s resilience, a total of 106 parliamentarians from seven European countries have recently sent letters urging the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general to invite Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly (WHA) to be reconvened later this month. The acclamation from the European lawmakers towards Taiwan was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on November 1.
According to the development, 106 Parliamentarians from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia expressed strong support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the upcoming WHA session. Drafted in individual letters, the support of lawmakers comes in commending Taiwan’s handling of the virus, even as the pandemic continues to wreck life and economy cutting across global borders
On October 22, in a joint letter signed by Waldemar Andzel, chairman of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group, Istvan Tiba, chairman of the Taiwan-Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Association, Peter Osusk chairman of the Slovakia-Taiwan Parliamentary Group and Marek Benda, chairman of the Czech Parliament’s Czech Republic-Taiwan Friendship Group was marked to the WHO.
The MOFA in its statement added that this was followed by another batch of joint letters dispatched between October 22 – 29, which were attested by the chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group of the Lithuanian Parliament Gintaras Steponavicius, Janis Vucans, chairman of the Latvian Parliament’s Group for Interparliamentary Relations with Taiwan and Kalle Laanet, chairman of the Estonia-Taiwan Friendship Group, as well as another 99 lawmakers from the three nations.
Taipei’s leadership conveyed its thanks to the European lawmakers while urging the WHO TO allow Taiwan’s participation for the benefit of all parties involved.
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A statement from MOFA read that ‘denying Taiwan’s WHA participation is a violation of the human rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan and detrimental to global cooperation in the fight against COVID-19.’
Ever since its participation from the WHO was terminated in 1972 after the People’s Republic of China took its seat, Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China (Taiwan), has not been able to participate in the WHA. Taiwan, only as an observer, was only permitted to attend the sessions between 2009-2016. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has continued to muscle its pressure on the WHO against Taiwan. Beijing has influenced the global health agency’s decision to refrain Taipei to step inside the international forum.
