Taiwan emerging from pandemic with a stronger hand against China

[Elderberry]

American Military News by Bloomberg News - Iain Marlow 5/2/2020

Very few governments around the world are likely to emerge from the pandemic in an even stronger position than before. Taiwan is one of them — and that’s not good for China.

Taiwan was forced to contain the outbreak without official help from the World Health Organization and other international bodies, thanks to China’s longstanding push to isolate the democratically ruled island that it claims as its territory. For weeks, leaders in Taipei struggled to evacuate residents from the virus epicenter in Wuhan, as Beijing rejected basic conditions such as having Taiwanese medical personnel aboard the aircraft.

Around the same time, the People’s Republic of China flew bombers and fighter jets around the island, prompting President Tsai Ing-Wen to scramble warplanes.

Despite those hurdles, Taiwan has led the world in its fight against the virus, with only about 400 infections and six deaths for a population of 23 million. By comparison, New York state — with slightly fewer people — had almost 300,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths.

Taiwan’s success against COVID-19 has shown that democracies could fight the virus without resorting to authoritarian measures, serving as a key rebuttal against Chinese propaganda showcasing the strength of its system against the West. Tapei’s openness also contrasted sharply with the lack of transparency about the initial outbreak and subsequent diplomatic pressure from Beijing, generating goodwill that could pay dividends in the future.

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/05/taiwan-emerging-from-pandemic-with-a-stronger-hand-against-china/

[Elderberry]

Australia, USA and Japan Snub China, Back Taiwan Re-joining the WHO

Watts Up With That by Eric Worrall 5/2/2020

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/05/02/australia-usa-and-japan-snub-china-back-taiwan-joining-the-who/

The global anger at China’s lies, coverups and incompetence in response to Covid-19 has delivered its first fruit; nations are putting global pandemic safety ahead of China’s sensitivity to any kind of international recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign nation.

    WHO Becomes Battleground as Trump Chooses Pandemic Confrontation Over Cooperation

    Critics say fighting the coronavirus has become secondary as U.S. seeks to hamstring the World Health Organization, turning it into a 2020 election issue along with Chinese trade.

    BY COLUM LYNCH APRIL 29, 2020, 1:31 PM

    The Trump administration is seeking to enlist the support of key allies to restore Taiwan’s status as an observer at the World Health Organization, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation with China as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to diplomatic sources and notes of internal meetings at the global health agency.

    The United States and Japan are asking key like-minded nations, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, to co-sign a draft letter to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, requesting he invite the Taiwanese delegation to the World Health Assembly, the United Nations health agency’s key decision-making body, which is expected to meet virtually in mid-May.

More at link.