TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan deserves a place in the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Representative Michael McCaul said in an opinion piece published on Tuesday (May 23).

“It is unconscionable, especially after the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) coverup of the COVID-19 pandemic, that the WHO is once again caving to pressure from the CCP to silence Taiwan in this important venue,” he said.

McCaul, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Taiwan’s observer status in the World Health Assembly must be restored if the WHO is “truly committed to enacting reforms, increasing transparency, and protecting the well-being of all people.” Taiwan was the first to warn the world about the COVID virus, he said.

He also praised the nation’s contributions to global pandemic prevention efforts, including the donation of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, information sharing, and aid to vaccine development.

McCaul argued that Taiwan deserves to have a voice for the world to learn from its successes and said the U.S. needs to back partners like Taiwan at the WHA so “there is a strong coalition pushing for the CCP’s accountability on the pandemic.” “The exclusion of Taiwan from the WHA is an example of the CCP’s outsized influence in the broader United Nations system,” he said.

The representative called on Washington to do more to counter China’s influence in the U.N. by being more vocal about Taiwan’s participation in the WHA.

He mentioned that legislation, including the Taiwan Assurance Act and the TAIPEI Act, both urge the U.S. to support Taiwan’s observer status in global organizations. “The intent of Congress is clear — the administration, including the State Department, must make every effort possible, including in diplomatic engagements and multilateral meetings and documents, to ensure that Taiwan has a voice at multilateral fora,” he said.

Taiwan has been left out of the 76th WHA, which lasts from May 21-30. Already, 12 diplomatic allies and many other partner countries have vouched for Taiwan's inclusion.

A Taiwanese delegation led by Health Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) is currently in Geneva, Switzerland, to hold sideline meetings with other country representatives.

Taiwan served as an observer in the WHA from 2009-2016 but has been excluded from participation since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) assumed office, due to objections from China. At the height of the pandemic, Taiwan launched its "Taiwan can help" campaign to showcase its contributions to global health.