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Biden Signs Bill Supporting Taiwanâs Observer Status at World Health Assembly
President Joe Biden on May 13 signed into law a measure in support of Taiwanâs proper access to the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the White House.The bipartisan legislation S.812 (pdf) directs the U.S. secretary of state to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHOâs decision-making body, seeking to boost the voice of the self-ruled island as the regime in Beijing continues its attempts to isolate and silence Taiwan on the world stage.
âTaiwan remains a model contributor to world health,â reads the legislation. âIn 2020, after successfully containing the spread of the novel coronavirus within its borders while upholding democratic principles, Taiwan generously donated millions of pieces of personal protective equipment and COVIDâ19 tests to countries in need.
âTaiwanâs needless exclusion from global health cooperation increases the dangers presented by global pandemics.â
Introduced by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the bill passed the Senate with âunanimous consentâ last August, before the House approved it 425â0 in late April, sending the measure to the White House for Bidenâs signature.
Menendez and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), co-chairman of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, applauded the presidentâs signing of the legislation, which comes about a week before delegations from all WHO member states are due to attend this yearâs WHA meeting, beginning on May 22 in Geneva.
âAs Beijingâs aggressive stance toward Taiwan continues to intensify, the United States is once again demonstrating our commitment to ensuring Taiwanâs presence on the international stage,â Menendez said in a statement.
Inhofe said that Taiwanâs observer status âmustâ be restored.
âWe are one step closer to that goal,â he said. âGiven Chinaâs continued malicious behavior, we cannot allow them to refuse Taiwan a seat at the table any longer.â
Taiwanâs Foreign Ministry expressed its thanks in response to the âbipartisan, bicameral supportâ from Washington.
Fifty years ago, Taiwan, officially known at the time as the Republic of China (ROC), was expelled from the WHO after the globalist United Nations switched its recognition to the communist Peopleâs Republic of China from the liberal democratic ROC. The Chinese Communist Party considers the island a breakaway province despite it never having been ruled by the Party.
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen waves to supporters at her Democratic Progressive Party headquarter in Taipei, Taiwan on Jan. 16, 2016, as Taiwanâs first female leader. (Ashley Pon/Getty Images)
Taiwan took part in the annual WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016, yet has since been stripped of that status because of Beijingâs opposition after President Tsai Ing-wen won the 2016 election. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party under her leadership views Taiwan as a de facto nation.
Taiwanese authorities had rejected Chinaâs main condition for its WHO participation as an observerâacceptance that it is part of Chinaâbefore a previous meeting held during the pandemic.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said last week that his ministry was âproactively strivingâ for an invite to attend the WHA meeting.
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Rita Li is a reporter with The Epoch Times, focusing on U.S. and China-related topics. She began writing for the Chinese-language edition in 2018.