The Coronavirus Pandemic has exposed how the World Health Organisation (WHO), a specialised agency of the United Nations charged with the responsibility to lead global health responses in times of public health emergencies, has reduced itself into an extended arm of the Chinese propaganda machinery.
Under the leadership of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO has come out looking like a failed agency in face of the Coronavirus Pandemic and one of its biggest blunders have been to undermine Taiwan.
Crippled by fears of upsetting Beijing, WHO gave a cold shoulder to Taiwan from the very beginning, ignoring Taiwan’s early warnings about the Wuhan virus.
Taiwan was one of the first countries to alert the WHO about human-to-human transmission, and had warned the agency as early as December 31. But the WHO kept on shielding China and misled the world about transmissibility of the virus till Janaruy 24.
Taiwan has been able to battle the Pandemic better than any other country of the world, but WHO is not ready to take it into account for the fear of upsetting China, which has illegitimate territorial claims in the island.
WHO wants to endorse Beijing’s “One China Principle” and has therefore deliberately withheld all the information that Taiwan shares about how it has been successful in nipping the Wuhan virus in its bud.
The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry has accused the WHO of withholding vital information shared by Taiwan on how to control the virus from the member states.
WHO has virtually ganged up with Beijing in bullying Taiwan, but now it has drawn fire from across the world for excluding Taiwan. The United States itself is battling for its inclusion in the WHO.
The United States Mission to the United Nations has tweeted, “.@UN was founded to serve as a venue for all voices, a forum that welcomes a diversity of views & perspectives, & promotes human freedom. Barring #Taiwan from setting foot on UN grounds is an affront not just to the proud Taiwanese people, but to UN principles.” It has also started the hashtag #TweetForTaiwan extending complete support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organisation (WHO).
.@UN was founded to serve as a venue for all voices, a forum that welcomes a diversity of views & perspectives, & promotes human freedom. Barring #Taiwan from setting foot on UN grounds is an affront not just to the proud Taiwanese people, but to UN principles. #TweetForTaiwan
— U.S. Mission to the UN (@USUN) May 1, 2020
Also extending support to the cause of Taiwan, the United States State Department’s Bureau of International Organisation Affairs too has tweeted, “The U.S. believes firmly that #Taiwan belongs at the table when the world discusses #COVID19 and other threats to global health.”
The U.S. believes firmly that #Taiwan belongs at the table when the world discusses #COVID19 and other threats to global health. Before 2017, Beijing didn't object to Taiwan joining the World Health Assembly as an Observer. What's changed? #TweetforTaiwan
— Ambassador Michele Sison (@State_IO) May 1, 2020
In a series of tweets, the State Department Bureau has raised a critical question- “Is the health of Taiwan’s 23 million people less important now than it was before 2017? Or, is the #PRC punishing Taiwan voters for freely choosing their own leader?”
Is the health of Taiwan's 23 million people less important now than it was before 2017? Or, is the #PRC punishing Taiwan voters for freely choosing their own leader? #TweetforTaiwan
— Ambassador Michele Sison (@State_IO) May 1, 2020
It must be noted that it since 2016, Taiwan hasn’t been allowed to participate at the annual World Health Assembly and WHO technical and experts’ meetings — which is a sign of the sway that China has over the WHO.
This was the same year when the incumbent, pro-Indpendence Taiwense President Tsai Ing-wen was elected for the first time by the people of Taiwan. Till 2016, the WHO was concerned about the health of the people of Taiwan and allowed it to represent itself at the international platform, only because a pro-China regime was in power.
But now that people of Taiwan have elected a pro-Indpendence leader, China and WHO have ganged up together to punish the 23 million people of the island.
Taiwan’s model remains one of the best across the world when it comes to checking the Coronavirus Pandemic which is why Australia too has backed Taiwan’s return to the WHO.
The US State Department’s Bureau of International Organisation Affairs has also compared Beijing’s opacity with Taiwan’s transparency to make a strong case for Taiwan’s return to the WHO.
It tweeted, “The contrast with the #PRC is striking. China’s response to the outbreak of #COVID19 has been to hide the facts, muzzle its scientists, and censor discussion. #Taiwan’s response has been and continues to be a model for the world.”
.@iingwen, the contrast with the #PRC is striking. China's response to the outbreak of #COVID19 has been to hide the facts, muzzle its scientists, and censor discussion. #Taiwan's response has been and continues to be a model for the world. #TweetforTaiwan #TaiwanModel https://t.co/KADqwnLsrr
— Ambassador Michele Sison (@State_IO) May 1, 2020
The United States has thus stepped up the pressure on WHO to break out of Chinese hegemony and to give a fair chance of representation to Taiwan so that it can communicate its highly successful model in tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The growing clamour for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHO thus directly pokes in the eyes of the mighty Dragon who looks at the little island as a part of its “Once China Principle”.
