Last Saturday morning, over a dozen Taiwan government agencies and community organizations held a joint press conference, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to admit Taiwan. The press conference took place at the Taiwan Overseas Education Center in Milpitas, Northern California.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the largest annual global health cooperation conference. This year’s 78th WHA will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from May 19th to 27th. Succumbing to political pressure from Beijing, the WHA has not allowed Taiwan to participate since 2017.
“At the international level, China has long distorted the United Nations Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution WH25.1,” said Guo Huizhen, head of the news section of the Taiwan Representative Office in San Francisco, at the press conference. “These two resolutions do not mention Taiwan, or Taiwan as part of China, nor do they give the People’s Republic of China the right to represent Taiwan in the WHO.”
Resolution 2758 was passed at the 1971 1976th meeting of the United Nations, establishing the legal status of the Chinese Communist regime within the UN, but it does not mention Taiwan at all. Subsequent resolutions by all UN subsidiary organizations on related issues, including WHA Resolution WH25.1, have followed the spirit of Resolution 2758.
Due to China’s persistent claim that Resolution 2758 acknowledges Taiwan as part of China, the United States Congress passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act (H.R.1176) in July 2023, specifically clarifying various disputes surrounding the UN Resolution 2758.
The Taiwan International Solidarity Act stipulates, “Resolution 2758 establishes the regime of the People’s Republic of China as the sole lawful representative of China in the United Nations. The resolution did not address the issue of Taiwan and its people’s representation in the United Nations or any related organization, nor take any position on the relationship between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan; it also does not contain any statement regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
On May 13, 2022, former U.S. President Biden signed the Taiwan Health Observer Restoration Act (S.812), which aims to instruct the U.S. Secretary of State to develop a strategy to restore Taiwan’s observer status at the WHA.
Guo also pointed out in her speech that the WHO’s 2025-2028 14th General Program of Work (GPW4) includes objectives to improve health service coverage and financial protection, promoting universal health for all. Since 1995, Taiwan has implemented universal health insurance, with a coverage rate exceeding 99.9%, achieving the goal of comprehensive health coverage.
She emphasized that the WHA “continues to violate the spirit of ‘Leave no one behind’ of the UN Charter by excluding Taiwan.”
Zhuang Yashu, director of the Taiwan Overseas Education Center in Northern California, stated at the press conference last Saturday that health is a fundamental human right, and the WHO should not exclude Taiwan from the WHA. She pointed out that the U.S. government has proposed to withdraw from the WHO because “the WHA no longer serves as a platform for horizontal connections,” especially as the platform has been subject to political interference from some member countries, which is the reason Taiwan cannot participate in the WHA.
President Trump announced the withdrawal from the WHO on his first day in office on January 20 this year. The main reason was the WHO’s inappropriate handling of the COVID-19 virus originating from Wuhan in 2020.
Last Saturday’s press conference was hosted by Dr. Lin Jingtang, a representative of the Northern California Taiwanese Medical Association and former president of the association.
Dr. Lin stated that although the United States has announced its withdrawal from the WHO, the process will take a year to complete. Therefore, the U.S. government will continue to support Taiwan’s participation in this year’s WHA within the WHO.
Other speakers at the press conference last Saturday supporting Taiwan’s participation in the WHA included: Hua Yingshao, president of the Northern California Taiwanese Medical Association; Chen Junchen, president of the Southern California Taiwanese Association; Li Hanwen, president of the Northern California Taiwanese School Association; Zhou Weiyu, president of the San Francisco Taiwan Chamber of Commerce; Zhou Xinjie, spokesperson for the Northern California Taiwan Forum and the Northern California Taiwan Professors Association; Xie Zhenkuan, president of the Taiwan Care Association; and Lin Hongda, president of the Northern California Taiwan Cultural and Sports Association.