For Participating in WHA, the Powers-that-be Must Have Visionary Considerations

For Participating in WHA, the Powers-that-be Must Have Visionary Considerations

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

May 17, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

For a long time, Taiwan has hoped to participate in the activities of the World Health Organization (WHO), at a minimum it wants to be invited to attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA). This year, the WHA will be held on May 18^th and 19^th via videoconference. As COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc around the entire world, plus the voices and actions for placing blame and seeking sources from the US and Australia, our country has enhanced its efforts to knock on the gate, thus, the agenda has attracted wide concerns.

For Taiwan, the knocking-door efforts in regard to the WHA have been greatly enhanced, but the WHO has 194 member states, while 15 diplomatic partners support Taiwan, plus eight other countries have sent diplomatic notes. However, the total is only 23, and the majority still maintain opposing attitudes. Trump's threat to withdraw financial contributions from the WHO will only make himself more isolated, harming the position of US leadership and the weight of its voice, leaving Taiwan further and further away from the WHO.

If the powers-that-be have no visionary considerations, they will inevitably have impending worries. Just while countries around the world maintain alert and caution over and over again with regard to Trump's "America First" policy, we have shown one-sided zeal to echo and support the US, criticizing Mainland China's pandemic prevention and control, which is tantamount to jettisoning and cutting off the cross-Strait approach of coordination. The attendance at the WHA is only a battle, and a setback will also be only for the time being. However, what truly worries people is the bigotry and adamant, single-handed pursuit of a goal, right or wrong, on the part of the powers-that-be.

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