The 148th session of the World Health Organization's Executive Board is taking place from Jan. 18 to 26. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it decided not to file a petition for observer status given the current epidemic situation and to avert disrupting the meeting and creating misunderstandings.
The World Health Organization began the 148th session of its Executive Board on Jan. 18. It will last until Jan. 26. The 34 health experts on the executive board designated by member states are participating virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting is expected to focus on disease prevention and vaccine distribution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced it decided not to file a petition for observer status to avert politicized misunderstandings and disruptions of official business.
We don't want to disrupt these professional and technical issues from being discussed, and we want to avert misunderstandings from other people about politicization, so we carefully considered this issue and made the choice to not make our proposal during this year's executive committee discussions of technical issues.
Taiwan still intends to closely follow what happens during the meeting. The ministry also said it will continue to actively contribute to global disease prevention measures through various channels. In related news, President Tsai Ing-wen met with British Representative to Taiwan John Dennis, who took office last week. She said 2021 is a critical year for both Taiwan and the UK, and she intends to continue cooperating with the UK and contributing to global disease prevention.
There have been a lot of recent cooperation and dialogue between Taiwan and the UK on goods and vaccine procurement due to epidemic situation. The two countries are mutually assisting each other during this epidemic situation, which shows that the bilateral relationship is strong. We are determined to continue cooperating with the UK and contribute to the global disease prevention fight.
Dennis was previously posted to China, India, Malaysia, and Tanzania. Tsai is hoping that the bilateral relationship can progress and result in the signing of a free trade agreement or a bilateral investment agreement.
新冠肺炎疫情籠罩全球，世界衛生組織WHO，從18號開始到26號舉行執委會年度會議EB，考量各國疫情嚴峻，此次執委會成員共34席採全視訊方式進行。由於會議高度聚焦討論防疫以及疫苗分配等議題，外交部為了避免遭到泛政治化的誤解及干擾會議討論專業議題，評估後決定不提案。
外交部發言人 歐江安表示：「為了避免對這些專業性，跟技術性問題討論進行干擾，以及為了避免外界可能賦予我們，推動WHO(提案)是個泛政治化，可能的誤解。因此，我們經過審慎考量之後，今年還是一樣循例地，我們就不選擇在這個討論技術性議題的EB執委會裡面，來推我們的提案。」
不在EB提案，但仍將密切關注會議發展，外交部表示將會繼續積極透過各種方式貢獻國際防疫。而台灣防疫成效世界看得見，總統蔡英文會見上週到任的英國在台辦事處代表鄧元翰，蔡英文表示，今年對英國和台灣都是關鍵年，有決心繼續和英國合作，為全球防疫做出貢獻。
總統 蔡英文表示：「最近因為疫情的關係，台、英雙方就物資、疫苗採購的議題，有許多合作跟對話。疫情期間，兩國相互扶持，印證雙方關係的堅定，我們有決心繼續跟英國合作，一起為全球的防疫做出貢獻。」
鄧元翰曾擔任英國駐中國大使，也曾派駐印度和馬來西亞、坦尚尼亞等地，長年致力亞洲、非洲及商務貿易事務。總統蔡英文期待台英雙方能夠再進一步，洽簽自由貿易協定或雙邊投資協定，就此展開對話。