Taiwan officials are on their way back from Switzerland, where they were promoting Taiwan''s inclusion in the World Health Assembly. On the last day of their stay, deputy health minister Lee Li-feng met with the WHA delegates of Taiwan''s diplomatic allies. Over in the Swiss capital of Bern, a group of Taiwanese lawmakers paid a visit to the mayor of the city.
Each guest gets a bar of Swiss chocolate. The mayor of Bern, Switzerland’s capital, welcomed a bipartisan group of Taiwanese lawmakers with a sweet treat.
Alec von Graffenried
Bern mayor
I am a friend of Taiwan because I am a friend of democracy. I believe a lot in democracy. In these days where we live a lot of nondemocratic experiences in the world. So this should give us great hope and Taiwan should be a model for the whole world.
The mayor said he did not understand why Taiwan had been left out of the World Health Assembly for six straight years.
Alec von Graffenried
Bern mayor
I cannot understand it because we are living in a period of pandemic and there is no borders for the pandemic. And so it’s kind of difficult to understand how you can say “Well, you’re cannot a member.” I have difficulty to understand how we can exclude a country in WHO or WHA.
Elsewhere in Switzerland, Taiwan’s deputy health minister met with representatives of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. The delegate from Belize said that although Taiwan had once again been excluded from the WHA, Belize’s support for Taiwan was strong as ever.
Kevin Bernard
Belize health minister
I am a friend of Taiwan. Taiwan has been a friend of Belize. We have diplomatic relations for 33 years now. I will repeat our position that Belize stands strong and firm behind Taiwan. And we hope that at the next World Health Assembly Taiwan can be sitting right there in that room, partaking in those discussions.
Jokingly, the delegate from Eswatini said she hoped she wouldn’t have to quarantine on her next visit to Taiwan.
Lee Li-feng
Deputy health minister
We told her that we are confident that when she comes, there will definitely have been changes to the policy. Because in October, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will be organizing the Global Health and Welfare Forum. If we have government officials at the ministry level coming, we will also organize a ministers’ roundtable, to discuss epidemic prevention and other public health issues including noncommunicable diseases. We hope to offer the opportunity for health leaders from every country to discuss these issues.
Taiwan officials spoke with delegates from 11 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Switzerland. The two that didn’t attend the WHA, Palau and the Marshall Islands, showed their support for Taiwan via a prerecorded video.