U.S. Makes Rare Nod Toward Taiwan With Call to Discuss Virus
Top U.S., Taiwan Health Officials Discuss Coronavirus on Phone
(Bloomberg) -- The top U.S. health official spoke to his Taiwanese counterpart about fighting the coronavirus outbreak, a rare Cabinet-level contact between the two governments that’s certain to anger Beijing.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar discussed giving Taiwan a bigger role in the global fight against Covid-19 in a telephone call with health minister Chen Shih-chung Monday. The two also discussed U.S. support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization, according to a summary of the meeting released by Taiwan’s foreign ministry.
The 30-minute phone call signals a strong display of support for Taiwan given that successive U.S. administrations have limited high-level contacts. Relations between the U.S. and China, already strained under President Donald Trump, have worsened further as a result of the outbreak, with American officials accusing China of refusing to cooperate in fighting the virus.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes all official contact with the government in Taipei. President Tsai Ing-wen rejects Chinese claims to Taiwan, asserting the island is an independent, sovereign nation.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement its opposition against official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan has been consistent and clear, and asked the U.S. to follow the one-China principle and stop such contact in any form. China has shared timely updates on the Covid-19 outbreak with Taiwan, but the Democratic Progressive Party is taking advantage of the epidemic to challenge the one-China principle and seek independence, according to the statement.
Observer Status
Tsai spoke to Trump shortly after his election victory in 2016 but before he had taken office, a move that elicited a warning from China. There have been other Cabinet-level contacts in the past, including when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy visited in 2014, and Taiwanese officials occasionally meet with senior aides in visits to the U.S.
Trump and some of his top officials, including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, have criticized China for not providing enough information about the outbreak early on and preventing U.S. scientists from being able to take part in fact-finding trips to Wuhan, China, where it originated. Both men at one point repeatedly referred to Covid-19 as the “Wuhan virus” or “China virus.”
Taiwan previously had observer status with the WHO but has been shut out in recent years. In a recent roundtable with reporters, Pompeo said the Trump administration supports Taiwan having an “appropriate role” with the body. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in the statement that as a part of China, Taiwan has no right to join the WHO.
Azar, in a Twitter post, said he thanked Chen “for Taiwan’s efforts to share their best practices and resources with the U.S.”
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.