CORONAVIRUS | Taiwan on Thursday condemned “groundless” accusations from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) boss that racist slurs against him had come from the island, saying racism did not exist in Taiwan in an escalation of its feud with the body.

Taiwan’s lack of membership of the WHO, due to pressure from China which claims the island as its own, has infuriated the Taipei government during the coronavirus outbreak. Taiwan says it has been unable to get timely information and that Taiwanese lives have become political pawns. The WHO denies this.

On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (above) rejected “racist slurs” against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said they “strongly condemned and protested the groundless accusations” which she labelled “imaginary”.

“Taiwan is a mature and highly accomplished advanced democratic country, and have absolutely not encouraged our people to personally attack the WHO’s director-general, and what’s more cannot have made any racist comments,” Ou said.

Taiwan condemns any form of discrimination, and any attacks on the internet against the WHO’s chief have nothing to do with Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry nor have been instigated by it, she added.

Tedros’ comments were irresponsible and he should clarify them and apologise to Taiwan, Ou said.

Taiwan is the one which has been “politically discriminated against” in the global health system, she added.

“The concept of racism does not exist in Taiwan. We do not have a problem of racism.”

Taiwan has been proud of its early and so far effective measures against the coronavirus, logging just 379 cases and five deaths to date, far lower than many of its neighbours.

The WHO, in a rare statement about Taiwan last month, said it was closely following the development of the coronavirus there, is learning lessons from how they are fighting it, and detailing how the WHO has been working with Taiwanese health experts.

Taiwan says the WHO ignored its questions at the start of the coronavirus outbreak and has not shared with member states information Taiwan has provided on the coronavirus including details on its cases and prevention methods.

This is part of what it has long described as a pattern that puts it at risk because of Chinese pressure to exclude it from international bodies.

Under the slogan “Taiwan can help”, the government last week announced the donation of 10 million faces masks to the United States, Europe and the 15 countries which still maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island.

Ou said Taiwan would donate another six million masks, to northern and eastern Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and US states hardest hit by the pandemic.

- Reuters 

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