Response to interpellation 2022/23:303 on Taiwan's observer status in the WHO
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns Taiwan's observer status in the WHO. M argues that the government supports Taiwan's participation in international contexts where status as a state is not required 1. M emphasizes that Sweden and the EU have an established one-China policy but that Taiwan is an important partner in trade, technology, and health 2 3. M argues that Sweden has worked for Taiwan to regain observer status and that this is important for global health cooperation 1 2 4. C considers that the Foreign Minister has not taken sufficient initiatives to reach a consensus in the EU 5. C wants Sweden to be clearer in its voice to counter China's interpretation of the policy 6 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Kerstin Lundgren has asked me about what initiatives I have taken to build support for inviting Taiwan as an observer at upcoming meetings with the WHO's parliamentary assembly and WHO meetings. She has also asked me whether Sweden will now stand behind a motion from countries demanding that Taiwan be granted observer status in the WHO.
The Government supports Taiwan's participation in all international contexts where participation is meaningful and does not require status as a state.
I agree with Kerstin Lundgren that it is in everyone's interest that Taiwan can participate in international health cooperation. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the issue of transboundary health crises and that no country alone can handle a challenge of that magnitude. We are all mutually dependent on one another. Global cooperation and information sharing are required to contribute to better management and more sustainable health systems in the future.
The Government wants to see a development where Taiwan can again be given the opportunity to participate as an observer, which occurred during the years 2009-2016.
For this reason, Sweden has for several years, together with a group of like-minded countries, in various ways urged the Director-General of WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva. This was also done ahead of this year's WHA. The issue, however, requires consensus within WHO, which unfortunately does not exist today.
Sweden will also continue to promote Taiwan's meaningful participation in global health cooperation, including through active exchange with Taiwan's representative office in Geneva, which is the seat of the WHO.
Kerstin Lundgren (C)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for a long-awaited answer!
This interpellation debate is taking place post factum, Madam Speaker, because the World Health Organization's parliamentary meeting has already taken place. One might think: Oh, how late the interpellator is in asking this question! But, Madam Speaker, I raised the question on April 12. We are soon writing on June 12, two months after my interpellation was raised. On Monday, it will be two months. This interpellation debate is therefore a bit special. I could have withdrawn the interpellation, but I chose not to do so in this situation because I was curious to see how the Foreign Minister would handle the answer. Now I have seen and heard the Foreign Minister give his answer to my questions.
I chose to redo one of the questions, so I have actually already received an answer to that one. I changed it into a written question, and the answer to it can be found in the interpellation.
Mr. Speaker, now that the meeting has taken place and the story can be told, it would have been extremely exciting to learn about the initiatives that the Foreign Minister had taken before the World Health Organization's parliamentary meeting to achieve increased consensus behind inviting Taiwan as an observer. That was my first remaining question, Madam Speaker, and I see no initiative whatsoever. I hear in the answer to the question that consensus is required. Yes, we know that. But it says nothing about what initiatives have been taken to try to achieve this.
I believe that as chairman, one is responsible for speaking. I know that Sweden's voice was the EU's voice at the World Health Organization's parliamentary assembly meeting. Acko Ankarberg Johansson was the one who presented the EU's position, and in that situation, it is of course required that one represents the whole. But that was not what I asked. I asked what initiatives the Foreign Minister had taken to achieve success, and I hear nothing of that. Possibly there is something, as I have noted that there have been many trips. I know that we jointly drive the Natoprocess and that it is important. But I had hoped that I would get a different answer - that some initiative had been taken to achieve success.
One can read how other like-minded countries have acted. It is possible to read on the USA's state government site how Secretary of State Blinken has been clear on this issue.
But I have not seen any initiatives from the Swedish side. Possibly I can get an answer regarding some initiatives or actions in the next post from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you to the interpellor for the interpellation! I can begin by stating that Sweden's and the EU's one-China policy is firm. Within the framework of the one-China policy, Sweden and the EU have an extensive and lively exchange with Taiwan in a number of areas: trade and investment, climate, culture, academic exchange, parliamentary contacts and also health cooperation, which is the subject of the interpellation.
Let me also remind you of the government's overall starting point to work for a participation in global health cooperation that is as broad and comprehensive as possible. This naturally also includes Taiwan.
The Government considers that Taiwan's meaningful participation in various international organizations in areas such as aviation, health, and trade contributes in a very positive way to international cooperation. The international health technology work, including pandemic management, is a particularly good example of an area where it is reasonable and highly desirable that Taiwan participates.
Full membership of Taiwan in the World Health Organization is not possible because Taiwan is not a UN member. Between 2009 and 2016, however, Taiwan was able to participate as an observer in WHO's highest decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, WHA - a participation that we assess was very valuable.
The Government therefore advocates for a development that again enables observer status for Taiwan. This means, as I have previously mentioned, that we in different ways urge the Director-General of the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the World Health Assembly meetings. This also includes, among other things, diplomatic exchange and information sharing with other countries that support Taiwan's participation in the WHO's work.
Parallel to this work, Sweden and the EU are working to find practical solutions for how Taiwan can be included in the WHO's work. The Government also continues to support Taiwan's active participation in the WHO's health technology work, including in expert meetings in various fields.
Sweden also, in line with this approach, has a valuable national exchange with Taiwan on global health issues. In Geneva, where WHO is headquartered, Sweden, for example, has recurring contacts regarding WHO issues with Taiwan's representative office.
The exchange in the health technology field thus does not only contribute to the bilateral health cooperation between Sweden and Taiwan, which is naturally valuable in itself. It also highlights and preserves Taiwan's significant expertise in the field and benefits the broad work on health issues at a global level.
Kerstin Lundgren (C)
Madam Speaker! The Foreign Minister and I agree on the importance of taking advantage of Taiwan's enormous capacity to contribute when it comes to both health and democracy and democratic development, as well as in the field of technology. It concerns an innovative and creative part of the world, which it is naturally extremely important that we do not overlook but instead absorb – for the good of the world.
I note, Madam Speaker, when I read the Chinese comment regarding the World Health Organization's vote, that it is not the world's health they envision but the CCP's best. This is something that it is extremely important to counter. When they speak of a one-China principle, as they say, while we say a one-China policy, we must make it clear that it is not the Chinese interpretation that applies.
I don't really know how they translate transparency into Mandarin, but it is in any case nothing that we can see. We have had transparency issues to discuss when it comes to the covid management - much still remains there.
We also naturally have the question of how to ensure that knowledge that exists and would be valuable to make available to the world's populations is not excluded, by having Taiwan at least be included as an observer; it is observer status that I am requesting.
It is therefore naturally extremely important to act, including ensuring that more EU countries become clear. I note that France, despite what Macron has stated, was clear in this case and during the meeting signaled that it requested observer status, in the same way as, for example, the Czech Republic. There are thus EU countries that are clear and speak with a clear, strong voice about the importance of Taiwan's presence in global health work.
It is clear that Sweden should have been present and able to act, also with its own voice. Sometimes we speak both as a nation and as an EU representative, and it would naturally have been possible to do so here as well, in order to distinguish ourselves if we do not have unity within the EU.
But it is naturally also important to consider how we work to achieve consensus on this in the EU. There is a fear among several EU states regarding how to handle the Chinese interpretation of our policy. Is it the Chinese CCP's principle, or is it policy, as we claim? If it is policy, we must also stand up for it. This is about the health of the world's population and what is best for global health. Then one should be able to make that voice clear.
So again - in what way has the minister acted before this meeting so that we can make our voice clearer and also make visible that it is not China's interpretation that prevails, both for Sweden and for the EU?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! It is good that Kerstin Lundgren highlights the democratic aspects. So let me also say something about Sweden's and the EU's view on the broader cooperation with Taiwan. The EU and Taiwan share a common conviction when it comes to democracy, human rights, and the principles of the rule of law. Taiwan is a well-developed democracy with good compliance with human rights.
Taiwan is also an important like-minded economic and high-tech partner in the region. The EU and its member states have an interest in continuing to develop ties and cooperation with Taiwan in several areas, for example trade and investment, digital and industrial issues, employment, human rights, connectivity and disinformation. Such cooperation is entirely in line with Sweden's one-China policy.
Our good relations with Taiwan have developed over many years, in a number of areas. We have, for example, a broad trade exchange. Swedish companies have had a long and successful presence in Taiwan, and today nearly one hundred Swedish companies operate there. Sweden has held trade talks at the level of State Secretary with Taiwan annually since the 1980s. We have also entered into a memorandum of understanding on investment promotion. The Business Sweden office in Taiwan has been active since 1991 and was one of the Export Council's first offices in Asia. The Government sees conditions for an expanded exchange between Sweden and Taiwan in areas such as trade, green technology, research and culture, to name just a few areas.
Kerstin Lundgren (C)
Madam Speaker! Once again – I have not heard any answers regarding initiatives that have been taken to achieve increased unity ahead of the World Health Organization's annual meeting on May 21-30. There, the Foreign Minister is therefore obviously the one who owes the answer.
When it comes to the question of developing the connections, it sounds positive. But there is also a statement from the Riksdag in this part, which concerns a House of Sweden. It is not the subject of this interpellation. We have had that discussion in other contexts. But it is also important that that part is not isolated.
If we want to make our interpretation of the one-China policy, the policy must also exist in Taiwan. Then it cannot only be trade, business exchange or, for that matter, technical development that we work with, but then we must also have a political presence and be present in the democratic context.
I hope that we will be able to see a House of Sweden that receives a much broader mandate. It is not about diplomatic relations - that is crystal clear - but it is about achieving a broader meeting with Taiwan in order to strengthen the exchange with Taiwan, which is an important democratic node in that part of Asia and has great significance for us, for the EU, and for the world as a whole. In that case, Sweden should be able to be present much more strongly than today.
But this is not what this interpellation was about. It was actually about what initiatives the minister had taken. I say "had," because the deadline for this interpellation has indeed passed.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Let me begin with the question regarding House of Sweden. The Riksdag's announcement has been received by the government and is currently being prepared within the Government Offices.
It is regrettable that China is trying to limit Taiwan's room for maneuver. I believe we can all agree on that. Differences between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan must be resolved in a peaceful manner, also in a way that corresponds with the will of Taiwan's population.
In summary, it is in the interest of Sweden and the EU to promote Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, including international expert bodies such as WHO. I have accounted for how the government has worked extensively on that issue.
Taiwan has, as mentioned, significant expertise in the health sector and has much to contribute to international health cooperation. It is also important that international cooperation on health issues functions and is as comprehensive as possible, as well as that relevant technical bodies and board meetings function effectively. This is the government's firm opinion.
The Government will also continue to support Taiwan's participation in international contexts that do not require status as a state. The Government does not, however, intend to change its one-China policy. The work to develop relations with Taiwan will continue within the framework of the existing relations.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.