方恩格专栏》台湾参与国际组织的场边自嗨派对
世界卫生组织（图／路透）
今年，第77届世界卫生大会（WHA）于5月27日至6月1日在瑞士日内瓦举行。就台湾今年实质参与世界卫生大会的努力而言，有些方面与往年相同，但也有些地方不同。
与往年相同的是，外交部和驻全球各地的代表处皆有发表评论或透过社交媒体为台湾的实质参与发声。在美国，驻美代表俞大㵢在《国会山庄报》发表评论，并且在全球各地广泛使用「#Taiwan Can Help」「#Taiwan Is Helping」和/或「#Count Taiwan In」这些口号。
此外，台湾派出由卫福部长所率领的「世卫行动团」政府官员代表团前往日内瓦。部长会面了有出席世界卫生大会的成员国代表们，其中包括了与会的卫生部长及政府官员。笔者先前曾将此形容为台湾在场边的「取暖派对」，因为即使其他国家的官员来为台湾表达同情和鼓励，他们依旧无法让台湾参加世界卫生大会。
同样地，不少国家或议员都有发表声明支持台湾参与世界卫生大会。最近几周，外交部非常忙碌地表示感谢，并发表了以下的感谢声明：6月1日，外交部发表声明，宣称今年争取参与的努力所获国际支持再创新高。5月30日，外交部发表声明，感谢捷克参议院以压倒性票数通过了支持台湾参与世界卫生大会的决议（这也是捷克参议院连续4年通过友台决议）。5月29日，外交部发表声明，感谢台湾的友邦及其他理念相近的国家在世界卫生大会上为台湾仗义执言。该声明提到了台湾的11个友邦，以及日本、加拿大、捷克、美国、纽西兰、立陶宛、爱沙尼亚、卢森堡，在会议中以明确提及「台湾」的方式为台湾发声，并指出拉脱维亚和以色列以「强调包容性方式呼应我国诉求」。
5月28日，外交部感谢支持台湾加入世界卫生大会的国家，该声明还表达了，台湾对于大会最终决定不将其友邦提案列入议程的结论，外交部深表遗憾与不满。5月26日，外交部感谢各国以各种多元方式来展现对台湾参与世界卫生组织和世界卫生大会的支持。5月25日，外交部也发表了声明，有关外交部长林佳龙和卫福部长邱泰源共同召开记者会，表示台湾将持续争取参与世界卫生组织和世界卫生大会。5月24日，外交部发表声明，感谢美国、日本、澳洲、英国、加拿大、德国、捷克及立陶宛驻台机构发布联合新闻稿，重申支持台湾有意义地参与世界卫生组织，以及以观察员身分参加世界卫生大会。
5月15日，外交部发表声明，感谢「福尔摩沙俱乐部」成员（包括欧洲议会、欧洲各国国会以及加拿大议会的成员）联名致函，敦促世界卫生组织邀请台湾有意义地参与今年的世界卫生大会（该信函寄给了世卫的总干事谭德塞，并副知欧盟理事会主席米歇尔、欧盟执委会主席冯德莱恩和欧盟外交暨安全政策高级代表波瑞尔）。最后，5月2日，外交部发表声明，感谢美国国务卿布林肯于前一天发表的声明，其中指出「美国强烈鼓励世界卫生组织恢复邀请台湾以观察员身分参与」。
今年不同的是，台湾有了新的总统、新的外交部长，以及新的卫福部长，但他们在台湾参加世界卫生大会问题上的态度与前蔡政府相同。另一个不同之处是，立法院的跨党派代表团也飞往了日内瓦为台湾发声，其中包括中国国民党籍现任立法院副院长江启臣。
世界卫生大会结束后，美国派遣官员代表团前往台北，与台湾政府及理念相近的驻台北国家代表处会面，进一步讨论台湾参与国际组织的事宜。然而，外交部在有关这次访问代表团的声明中，并未提及来访美国官员的姓名（但也可能是因应美国要求）。
身为一名美国人，笔者对于美国并未公布这些国务院官员的姓名而感到失望。同时，笔者也对赖政府能接受这一点感到失望。当我还小的时候，我的父母就曾教导我要对那些说「我是你的朋友，但我们的友谊不能让人知道」的人保持怀疑。
最终，国际社会支持未能改变现状；中国在世界卫生组织的影响力巨大，以至于在未获得中国批准的情况下，台湾必定无法参加世界卫生大会。
但也许这是台湾尝试不同策略的好机会？笔者先前曾评论过，台湾应该停止试图参与任何不让台湾参与的国际组织。至于世界卫生大会和世界卫生组织，台湾可以等等看他们是否有一天会乞求台湾参与。或者，台湾也可以期待未来若是川普当选总统，再次退出世界卫生组织，并创建一个新的「理念相近国家卫生组织」时，台湾可以加入。如此一来，才更能维护台湾的尊严！
（作者为美国共和党前亚太区主席，许淳恩翻译）
The 2024 Pity Party at the World Health Assembly
By Ross Darrell Feingold
Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad
X: @RossFeingold
This year’s 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 27 May to 1 June. With regard to Taiwan’s efforts to have substantive participation in the WHA this year, some things were the same as in past years, though some things were different.
Among the things that remain the same as in past years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and representative offices around the world published commentaries or used social media to make the case for Taiwan’s substantive participation. In the United States it included a commentary published in The Hill by Representative to the United States Alexander Yui Tah-ray, and around the world often included the slogans “#TaiwanCanHelp” “#TaiwanIsHelping”, and/or “#CountTaiwanIn”.
As in past years, Taiwan sent a delegation of government officials known as the “WHA Action Team” to Geneva led by the Health and Welfare Minister. The minister met with other countries’ health ministers and government officials who were attending the WHA meeting. This author has in the past referred to this as Taiwan’s “Pity Party” events on the sidelines of the WHA meeting, because the officials from those other countries come to offer Taiwan their pity and encouragement, but are unable to get Taiwan into the WHA meeting.
Something else that is unchanged from past years was that a large number of countries or members of parliaments issued statements in support of Taiwan’s participation. In recent weeks MOFA was very busy issuing thank you statements. This includes on June 1, MOFA issued a statement that proclaimed this year Taiwan’s efforts to participate in the WHA received the highest amount of support ever. On May 30, MOFA issued a statement to thank Czechia’s Senate for passing a resolution to support Taiwan’s participation in the WHA (the fourth year in a row that the Czechia Senate passed such a resolution). On May 29 MOFA issued a thank you statement to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and countries with like minded values that spoke on Taiwan’s behalf at the WHA (this statement referred to eleven of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies as well as Japan, Canada, Czechia, the United States, New Zealand, Lithuania, Estonia, Luxembourg, for having specifically spoken about Taiwan, and Latvia and Israel were cited in this MOFA statement as having “echoed Taiwan’s demands by stressing the need for inclusivity.” On May 28 MOFA issued a thank you statement to countries that supported Taiwan’s inclusion (which statement also expressed Taiwan’s dissatisfaction that the WHA rejected the proposal by friendly countries to include on the WHA agenda the question of Taiwan’s participation). On May 26, MOFA issued a thank you statement for the different ways countries expressed their support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO and WHA. On May 25, MOFA issued a statement which reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Health and Welfare Minister Chiu Tai-yuan held a joint press conference at which they said Taiwan is steadfast in its efforts to continue to seek participation in the WHO and WHA. On May 24, MOFA issued a thank you statement for the joint statement about Taiwan’s WHA and WHO participation issued by the representative offices in Taipei of the United States, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Czechia, and Lithuania.
On May 15, MOFA issued a thank you statement for the joint letter signed by members of the “Formosa Club” (which includes members of the European Parliament, European national parliaments, and the Canadian Parliament), who urged the World Health Organization to invite Taiwan to meaningfully participate in this year’s WHA (the letter was sent to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with copies sent to President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. On May 2, MOFA issued a thank you statement for United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement issued the previous day that “United States strongly encourages the WHO to reinstate an invitation to Taiwan to participate as an observer”.
Among the things that were different this year is that Taiwan has a new President, a new Foreign Minister, and a new Health and Welfare Minister. However, their approach to the issue of Taiwan’s WHA participation was the same as the previous Tsai Administration. Another difference was that a cross-party delegation of Legislative Yuan members also flew to Geneva to advocate for Taiwan, and included Johnny Chiang, Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Yuan.
After the WHA meeting concluded, the United States sent a delegation of officials to Taipei to meet with the Taiwan government and representative offices in Taipei of like-minded countries to further discuss Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. However, MOFA in its statement about this visiting delegation (and probably at the request of the United States) did not name the visiting American officials.
As an American, this author is disappointed that the United States did not publicize the names of these State Department officials. This author is also disappointed the Lai Administration would accept this. When I was a child, my parents taught me to be skeptical of anyone who says “I’m your friend, but our friendship needs to be a secret”.
Ultimately, expressions of international support did not result in changing the situation, and China’s influence in the WHO ensures Taiwan cannot participate in the WHA unless China approves.
Perhaps it’s time that Taiwan tries a different approach? This author has previously written that Taiwan should stop trying to seek participation in any international organization that does not want Taiwan to participate. For the WHA and WHO, Taiwan can wait for when, and if, the WHA or WHO beg Taiwan to participate. Alternatively, Taiwan can hope that Donald Trump is elected President, and the United States again leaves the WHO and creates a new “Like Minded Countries Health Organization” that Taiwan can join. Such an approach would better maintain Taiwan’s dignity!