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An international group of parliamentarians on Tuesday launched a global campaign urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to invite Taiwan to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA), warning that it is allowing a âdangerous gap in the global network.â
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) released a video statement featuring 15 legislators from 12 legislatures across Europe, North America, and Australia, all of whom urged the UN agency to allow Taiwan to participate in the 74th WHA in Geneva, Switzerland, scheduled to take place from May 24 to June 1.
BREAKING: #IPAC launches global campaign calling on the @WHOđto invite Taiwan đšđź to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly.
If Taiwan is left out, we all suffer.
Itâs time to #LetTaiwanHelp.
đ˝ď¸ Watch our video statement below đ pic.twitter.com/RWwqUFQN4h
â Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (@ipacglobal) April 27, 2021
The assembly is the WHOâs decision-making body.
The IPAC was established last year to coordinate policies among democratic nations to address the Chinese regimeâs threats.
Taiwan is not a WHO member state. But from 2009 to 2016, Taiwanâs health ministers were allowed to take part in the WHA as observers.
Since 2017, Taiwan has been barred by Beijing from taking part in the assembly and its meetings.
Beijing opposes Taiwan from taking part in any international meetings and organizations because it sees the island as a part of its territory, despite the fact that the self-ruled island has a functioning democratic government with its own military, currency, and constitution.
The parliamentarians in their video criticized the WHO for âjeopardizing the health and wellbeing of Taiwanâs 23 million citizensâ and creating a âdangerous gap in the global networkâ by continuing to refuse Taiwanâs participation in the meeting.
In a statement, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)Â called on the health body to âstop acting as Communist Chinaâs puppetâ and accept Taiwan as a member-state.
âWe must hold Communist China accountable as they continue to intimidate our peaceful and democratic ally, Taiwan,â Scott said.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) accused the WHO of being âheavily influencedâ by the Chinese regime âfor too long.â
âItâs time for all of us to stand firm and demand that the WHO allow the full participation of Taiwan. Today, Iâm joining my colleagues to send a clear messageâwe need to #LetTaiwanHelp,â he said in a statement on Twitter.
âAs the global community continues to struggle to combat COVID, itâs important that [Taiwan] be allowed to share its experience and best practices with the world. Together, we can work to overcome the pandemic and future global health challenges,â added Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Other lawmakers featured in the video included Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rep. and Chair of the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation Ami Berra, UK MP and former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith, and Australian Senator Kimberly Kitching.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan thanked IPAC for recognizing the need to allow Taiwanâs participation in the upcoming event.
âYour staunch support of #Taiwan & its right to participate in the activities, mechanisms & meetings of the @WHO like the #WHA is greatly appreciated by the government & the people. Yes! #TaiwanCanHelp,â it said on Twitter.
Frank Fang contributed to this report.
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