Risch Encourages World Health Assembly to Let Taiwan Help

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued a statement encouraging the World Health Assembly to invite Taiwan to its upcoming session from May 24 to June 1.

“Given Taiwan’s remarkable success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and active role in helping other countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus should allow Taiwan the opportunity to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly from May 24 to June 1.

“The United States and Taiwan have a long, robust history of cooperation on global health issues, and Taiwan continues to be a beacon of democracy and transparency in the Indo-Pacific. It is imperative that Taiwan be given an opportunity to share its vast expertise in this unprecedented global health emergency so that no one is left behind in the fight to combat COVID-19.

“The WHO sidelined Taiwan for the last four meetings of the World Health Assembly. I hope that in 2021, this will not be the fifth. Let Taiwan help, and we will all be better for it.”

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