Top WHO Official Cuts Feed After Journalist Asks About Country Claimed by China
A top official with the World Health Organization has ignited a political controversy over whether Taiwan is being ignored in order to pander to China.
Taiwan, off the coast of China, is the island to which Chinese nationalists fled after losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong and the Communist Party in 1949. Relations between the two have ebbed and flowed over the years, with the current regime taking forceful exception to any recognition of Taiwan.
The small nation was ousted from the WHO at China’s instigation and has been fighting to become a member once again.
In the context of the global battle against the coronavirus, which first erupted in Wuhan, China, Radio Television Hong Kong journalist Yvonne Tong asked Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whether Taiwan’s efforts would at long last be recognized, according to Taiwan News.
Aylward first indicated he had not heard the question, then asked Tong to “move on to another one.”
When she did not, the call ended abruptly.
In a follow-up call, Aylward told Tong in answer to her question about WHO membership for Taiwan that different areas within China have “done quite a good job” in terms of combatting the virus.
The episode sparked an angry tweet Saturday from Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
“Wow, can’t even utter ‘Taiwan’ in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic,” Wu wrote.
Wow, can’t even utter “Taiwan” in the WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic. FYI @WHO, 450+ news reports from 40+ countries so far positively covered #Taiwan’s handling of #COVID19. These reports do not mistake us as part of China & #TaiwanCanHelp. JW https://t.co/KbupbUb7NG
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) ?? (@MOFA_Taiwan) March 29, 2020
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri also called out the WHO on Saturday.
“WHO shilling for #China continues. Time to clean house at that organization, which is failing the world before our eyes,” he said on Twitter.
WHO shilling for #China continues. Time to clean house at that organization, which is failing the world before our eyes https://t.co/Ot6ulegO0P
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 28, 2020
That led the WHO to issue a statement passing the buck by saying member nations — and not the organization’s paid staff — decide who is in the club.
“The question of Taiwanese membership in WHO is up to WHO Member States, not WHO staff,” spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an emailed statement, according to Bloomberg News.
“WHO is taking lessons learned from all areas, including Taiwanese health authorities, to share best practices globally,” he said, without responding to a question of whether Aylward had hung up on the reporter.
The WHO said in a statement said it was working with Taiwan.
“However, WHO is working closely with all health authorities who are facing the current coronavirus pandemic, including Taiwanese health experts,” it said, according to Reuters.
“The Taiwanese caseload is low relative to population. We continue to follow developments closely. WHO is taking lessons learned from all areas, including Taiwanese health authorities, to share best practices globally,” the WHO statement said.
The WHO said it has been working with Taiwan “following established procedures to facilitate a fast and effective response and ensure connection and information flow.”
“WHO staff work around the world to respond to this pandemic with the best evidence-based guidance and operational support available for all people, based on public health needs,” it said.
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