WASHINGTON – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), co-chairmen of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, today released the below statements following the Senate passage of their legislation to direct the State Department to develop a strategy to assist Taiwan in obtaining observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.
In the face of a global pandemic and mounting hostility from the People’s Republic of China seeking to exclude Taiwan from the WHA and other bodies, Caucus Co-Chairs Menendez and Inhofe have continued to champion Taiwan’s participation in appropriate international organizations.
“I am proud to bear witness to today’s Senate passage of this critical legislation, which not only demonstrates the United States’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding global health, but also our dedication to defend Taiwan’s place on the world stage in the face of increasing aggression from Beijing,” Chairman Menendez said. “By muzzling a preeminent leader in medical technology and a magnanimous contributor to humanitarian aid, China’s narrow-minded hostility poses grave health, political, economic, and security concerns for the United States and entire international community. We cannot cower as China seeks to gamble with the world’s future. The U.S. must continue to stand by Taiwan, and do more to reaffirm our support for our ally’s international engagement.”
“The Senate made the right call in passing legislation to assist our friends from Taiwan in regaining observer status at the World Health Assembly,” Senator Inhofe said. “The People’s Republic of China has done everything in its power to block them from the WHA, yet Taiwan is a global leader in medical technology and humanitarian aid. We must continue to champion and fight for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.”
Find a copy of the legislation HERE.
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