Nancy Pelosi Presses For Reinstatement Of 'Observer' Status At WHO For Taipei: 'Cowardly That Beijing Continues To Seek To Isolate Taiwan'

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has publicly urged the World Health Organization to reinstate Taiwan’s observer status in the upcoming World Health Assembly.

What Happened: In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, Pelosi expressed her strong support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in global health collaboration. She emphasized that reinstating Taiwan’s observer status would benefit not only Taiwan but also the world, leveraging Taiwan’s capabilities and expertise.

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Pelosi praised Taiwan as a flourishing democracy, highlighting its exceptional governance in response to global challenges, including security, COVID, and clean energy.

She said, “It is cowardly that Beijing continues to seek to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the free world.”

Why It Matters: Taiwan’s participation in the WHO’s annual assembly has been uncertain despite the United States’ support. China’s objections, based on its claim over Taiwan as its territory, have been a significant hurdle. Taiwan had observer status at the World Health Assembly from 2009 to 2016, but China blocked Taiwan’s participation after President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office in 2017.

Pelosi, a longtime critic of China and a human rights advocate, has previously expressed her support for Taiwan. During a high-stakes visit to Taiwan in 2022, she made it “unequivocally clear” that the U.S. would not “abandon” the island. Beijing reacted to her visit by dispatching warships and military aircraft to the waters surrounding the self-ruled island.

Photo By Gage Skidmore Via Wikimedia Commons

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