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Taiwan Hits Back at WHO Over Collaboration Claims in Virus Fight

Taiwan Hits Back at WHO Over Collaboration Claims in Virus Fight

(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan rejected the World Health Organization’s claims it has worked with the island in combating the global coronavirus outbreak, adding fresh criticism of the organization’s handling of the epidemic.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry accused the WHO of being less than entirely truthful about its interaction with the island in a statement Monday, saying its information sharing with the Geveva-based organization was one-sided and hampered by political sensitivities.

“Between 2009 and 2019, we have applied to the WHO to take part in 187 technical meetings but have only been invited to 57 of them,” the ministry said. “This shows that the WHO secretariat places restrictions on Taiwan out of political considerations.”

In a statement over the weekend, the WHO said it was working with Taiwan in epidemiology training and information sharing. The WHO statement came after weeks of escalating criticism of the organization’s treatment of Taiwan as overly deferential to China, culminating in an interview widely shared online in which a senior WHO official appeared to hang up on a reporter when she asked about Taiwan.

While Taiwan’s government was a founding member of the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China took its seat in the body, and all subordinate organizations such as the WHO, in 1971. China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory. Taiwan’s government rejects the claim, asserting it is an independent, sovereign nation.

Taiwan said Monday it had shared information about its efforts to counter the spread of the virus with the WHO, but never received any information in return. It also pushed back against the WHO claim that two Taiwanese public health experts participated in one of its forums in February, saying the duo traveled to Geneva only to be told it could not attend in person and would only be allowed to watch the meetings online.

The ministry called on the WHO to allow Taiwan’s full participation in the international fight against the virus.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.