EU parliament delegation visits Taiwan to boost country's WHA bid

A delegation of MEPs are visiting Taiwan as part of a growing campaign aimed at backing the country’s bid to join international organisations.

The three deputies will exchange views with Taiwan’s health authorities on the country’s bid to join the World Health Assembly (WHA).

The WHA is the highest decision-making level of the Geneva-based World Health Organisation, one which Taiwan has been seeking to join for years, despite opposition from China.

Taiwan will once again apply for WHA membership when the organisation convenes for its annual conference in the Swiss city in May.

The group consists of Horst Posdorf, a member of the development committee, Eugenijus Maldeikis, a Lithuanian UEN MEP and industry committee member, and Bulgarian ALDE deputy Metin Kazak, a member of the foreign affairs committee.

Posdorf, the leader of the delegation, wrote last year in a letter to the heads of EU’s agencies in charge of health affairs to speak up for Taiwan in its bid to join the WHA.

The German EPP member also supports Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations and other international organisations.

Maldeikis is a pro-Taiwan politician who is a former Lithuanian minister of economy.

During their five-day stay in Taiwan, the MEPs will visit legislative Yuan deputy speaker, Tseng Yung-chuan; deputy chairman of the cabinet-level mainland affairs council, Chao Chien-min, and deputy minister of economic affairs, Sheng-chung Lin.

They will also have discussions with ruling Kuomintang deputy chairman, Wu Den-yih and opposition Democratic Progressive party chairwoman,  Tsai Ing-wen.

The deputies will also visit the government information office, the
Taiwan external trade development council, and the ministry of foreign affairs' international cooperation and development fund.

A parliamentary source said, "The delegation will try to gain a better understanding of Taiwan's political and economic development over the past few years.

Taiwan's bid is supported by several senior MEPs, including ALDE group leader Graham Watson and British Tory Edward McMillan-Scott, a vice president of parliament.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng will address parliament during next month's plenary in Strasbourg.

His speech will focus on Taiwan's democratic achievements and contributions to cross-Taiwan strait peace.

He will also hold meetings with senior EU officials, including parliament's president Hans-Gert Pöttering.

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