According to the State Department, US and Taiwanese officials discussed ways to increase Taipei’s involvement in the UN and other international forums on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the meeting in Washington was coordinated by the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States. The US and Taiwan have no formal diplomatic connections, thus the two institutions serve as de facto ambassadors.
They discussed how to best ensure the self-ruled democratic island’s participation in meetings of the World Health Organization’s decision-making body and the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as its “meaningful” participation in non-U.N. multilateral frameworks, according to a statement issued by the department.
All participants agreed that it is critical to collaborate closely with like-minded countries who “share our concerns regarding attempts to exclude Taiwan from the international community,” the statement stated, referring to China.
Taiwan is claimed by China as part of its territory that must be brought under its control, using force if necessary.
Officials in the United States have stated that their support for Taiwan is consistent with Washington’s long-standing “one-China policy,” which recognizes the People’s Republic of China as China’s sole lawful government. However, any issue concerning Taiwan is politically sensitive and frequently a cause of contention between Washington and Beijing.
Because to China’s resistance, Taiwan has been barred from attending the World Health Assembly since 2017. Since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016, Beijing has increased pressure on the island, viewing her as a separatist.
According to the statement, when representatives from the US department met with their counterparts from Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, they emphasized Taiwan’s world-class expertise in several sectors susceptible to global concerns, such as health and food security.
The names of those representatives were not released by the US Department of State.