TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US Bureau of International Organization Affairs voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly in an X post published on Sunday.

“Taiwan's exclusion from key international fora, including the World Health Assembly, has a direct negative impact on the well-being of Americans and the entire global community,” it said. “There is no reasonable justification to exclude Taiwan’s participation.”

The post included a video of Jeffrey Hay, the first secretary of the US permanent mission to the UN, criticizing Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization at the 156th session of the WHO executive board last week. 

Hay said: “Efforts to isolate Taiwan from the global health community only serve to deny Taiwan’s valuable contributions and prevent the broader international community from benefitting from its experience, technical expertise, and resources…”

“The United States will continue its longstanding policy of supporting the meaningful participation of Taiwan in international fora including at the WHO,” he added.

The secretary also emphasized that UN General Resolution 2758 “does not preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system.”

China has misinterpreted the resolution to claim sovereignty over Taiwan and block it from participating in any international organizations. 

Taiwan sent a delegation led by Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) to the 77th WHA in Geneva, Switzerland, to garner support for its participation.