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| AIT對於台灣無法參與WHA發出聲明。（取自AIT網站） |
中評社台北5月19日電（記者 黃筱筠）對於台灣無法獲邀參與世界衛生大會（WHA），美國在台協會（AIT）今天也以美國國務卿蓬佩奧為名發佈新聞稿指出，台灣被排除在世界衛生大會之外，美國予以強烈譴責。當世界正戮力對抗新冠疫情的同時，我們需要多邊機構履行其既定使命，並為所有會員國的利益服務，而不是在生命危在旦夕之際，仍在操弄政治。
新聞稿指出，儘管毗鄰疫情發源地中國武漢，台灣的防疫成效至今仍是全球佼佼者，這點無庸置疑也不令人意外。像台灣這樣透明、充滿活力且創新的民主體制，對流行病的反應總是比專制政權更快、更有效。
聲明表示，世界衛生組織秘書長譚德塞有法律授權，也可循先例，將台灣納入世界衛生大會的各項會議及活動。然而譚德塞卻屈服於中國的壓力，選擇不邀請台灣參加。祕書長譚德塞缺乏中立，剝奪了世界衛生大會向台灣聽取防疫專業科學知識的機會，更在世界最需要世衛之際進一步損害了世界衛生組織的公信力及效能。
AIT表示，中國噤聲台灣的惡意行徑，暴露中國宣稱希望透過資訊透明及國際合作來抗疫的主張實為空話，也使中國與台灣之間的差異更加顯著。台灣是世界模範公民，而中國則持續不願交出新冠病毒及其發源地的重要資訊，拒絕國際社會訪視中國科學家及相關設施，在中國境內及中國社群媒體上審查對疫情的討論，並大肆怪罪外人。
英文聲明全文如下：
Taiwan’s Exclusion From the World Health Assembly
The United States condemns Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Assembly. At a time when the world continues to struggle with the COVID－19 pandemic， we need multilateral institutions to deliver on their stated missions and to serve the interests of all member states， not to play politics while lives are at stake.
No one disputes that Taiwan has mounted one of the world’s most successful efforts to contain the pandemic to date， despite its close proximity to the original outbreak in Wuhan， China. This should not be a surprise. Transparent， vibrant， and innovative democracies like Taiwan always respond faster and more effectively to pandemics than do authoritarian regimes.
WHO’s Director－General Tedros had every legal power and precedent to include Taiwan in WHA’s proceedings. Yet， he instead chose not to invite Taiwan under pressure from the People’s Republic of China （PRC）. The Director－General’s lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwan’s renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease， and further damages the WHO’s credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most.
The PRC’s spiteful action to silence Taiwan exposes the emptiness of its claims to want transparency and international cooperation to fight the pandemic， and makes the difference between China and Taiwan ever more stark. Taiwan is a model world citizen， while the PRC continues to withhold vital information about the virus and its origins， deny access to their scientists and relevant facilities， censor discussion of the pandemic within China and on Chinese social media properties， and casts blame widely and recklessly. |
