Delegation felt pressure from China during WHA events: minister

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) yesterday said that Taiwan’s delegation attending events on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, appeared to have faced monitoring and pressure from China during this year’s gathering.

Shih, who is leading Taiwan’s delegation in Geneva, made the remarks during a video call with Taiwanese media after the WHO again rejected a proposal to invite Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer.

Photo: CNA

Taiwan has not been invited to the WHA for the past 10 years due to opposition from Beijing.

Asked whether Taiwan experienced pressure from China during this year’s WHA events, Shih said many like-minded countries continued to express support for Taiwan’s participation, but Beijing’s pressure could be felt in private interactions.

He said people believed to be Chinese nationals were seen monitoring the movement of the Taiwanese delegation during a walking event organized by Taiwan.

Shih also said attendance by representatives from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and international organizations at a “Taiwan Night” event organized by civic groups appeared noticeably lower this year, which he said may have been linked to pressure from China.

Despite the absence of US health officials at this year’s WHA, Taiwan’s exchanges with other countries and participation in technical meetings and forums on the sidelines were not significantly affected, Shih said.

Taiwan organized four professional forums this year, focusing on healthcare resilience, smart healthcare, cancer prevention and hepatitis C treatment to showcase Taiwan’s public health expertise and contributions, he said.

Taiwan’s smart healthcare exhibition also attracted significant attention, with some visitors expressing interest in cooperation and even placing orders, he added.

Taiwan this year adopted a more flexible approach to international exchanges, using side events, professional forums and banquets to deepen interactions with health officials and delegates from other countries, Shih said.