TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the global travel industry tries to leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind, Taiwan’s participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has become ever more crucial, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday (Sept. 6).

The United Nations specialized agency will hold its next triennial assembly in late September at its seat in Montreal, Canada, but due to opposition from China, Taiwan has not been invited to the event, except for 2013, when it was welcomed as a “special guest.”

MOFA said that as the world is looking to speed up the recovery of the travel sector and increase airline safety in the aftermath of the pandemic, Taiwan will continue to emphasize and explain its importance to global aviation, CNA reported.

This year’s approach to the ICAO assembly was under discussion with diplomatic allies and friendly countries, but the details would be announced closer to the event, according to MOFA Secretary General Lily Hsu (徐儷文).

She said it was difficult to estimate Taiwan’s chances for success until the final minutes before the meeting, but the pandemic has brought countries closer together, thus providing Taiwan with a favorable argument for its inclusion in ICAO.