TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部) intensified its diplomatic campaign on Tuesday (April 15) to secure observer status at the upcoming 78th World Health Assembly, the WHO's primary decision-making forum scheduled for May 19-27 in Geneva. Despite being excluded since 2017 amid pressure from Beijing, Taiwanese officials expressed determination to regain their seat at the global health table, highlighting ongoing coordination with the newly installed U.S. administration to champion their cause.
MOFA Spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) outlined Taiwan's diplomatic strategy during a routine press briefing at the ministry headquarters in Taipei. "Our government has been actively working according to established plans to secure observer status at the WHA," Hsiao stated, emphasizing the island's systematic approach. He promised regular updates on Taiwan's campaign and underscored the strategic importance of U.S. support in overcoming China's longstanding efforts to block Taiwan's participation in international health governance.
The spokesman highlighted growing international momentum for Taiwan's cause, citing recent diplomatic statements from multiple high-level forums. Both the G7 foreign ministers' communiqué and the trilateral U.S.-Japan-South Korea ministerial meeting explicitly endorsed Taiwan's meaningful participation in global institutions. Hsiao emphasized a particularly significant development from February, when U.S. representatives at the WHO Executive Board meeting directly challenged China's interpretation of U.N. Resolution 2758 — the 1971 resolution frequently cited by Beijing to justify Taiwan's exclusion from U.N. bodies.
In a parallel diplomatic initiative, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, the island's parliament, is preparing to dispatch a 17-member cross-party delegation to Washington under the auspices of the Taiwan-U.S. Congressional Association. The visit appears timed to reinforce Taiwan's WHA campaign through direct legislative diplomacy. Hsiao confirmed that MOFA would provide logistical and administrative support for the lawmakers while respecting their independently arranged itinerary and meetings with American counterparts. ★