Published 13:34 IST, April 10th 2020
China targets Taiwan officials for 'venomously' attacking WHO chief
The controversy around Taiwan and the WHO refuses to die down with China targeting the self-governing island over racism allegations levelled by UN agency.
- World News
- 3 min read
The controversy around Taiwan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) refuses to die down with China targeting the self-governing island republic over racism allegations. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office criticised Taiwan for allegedly using “internet army” to spread racist comments.
The Chinese office, in a statement, said that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are “unscrupulously” using the coronavirus to seek independence and “venomously” attacking the United Nations’ health agency and their officials.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the conflict over the sovereignty of Taiwan after reports of advocacy for its participation in the WHO emerged. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ rejection of “racist slurs”, which he said had originated from Taiwan, provoked a stern response from Taipei.
Taiwan called it 'baseless'
Taiwan strongly protested and condemned the accusations of instigating racist attacks against the WHO chief over Taipei feud with the UN body. President Tsai Ing-wen said in a statement that Taiwan has always opposed all forms of discrimination since they know better than anyone else what it feels like to be discriminated against and isolated.
Ing-wen invited the WHO chief to visit Taiwan and “experience the commitment” of Taiwanese people in engaging with and contributing to the world, “even in the face of discrimination and isolation”. She added that Taiwan is dedicated to the values of freedom, democracy, diversity, and tolerance and do not condone the use of racist remarks to attack those with different opinions.
“If Director-General Tedros could withstand pressure from China and come to Taiwan to see Taiwan’s efforts to fight COVID-19 for himself, he would be able to see that the Taiwanese people are the true victims of unfair treatment,” said Ing-wen in a statement.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry called the accusations levelled by the WHO chief as baseless and without merit. In a series of tweets, the ministry said that people around the world have witnessed the way WHO “mislabeled” and “outright ignored” inquiries about the country.
Updated 13:24 IST, April 10th 2020