Taipei: President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Palau for its unwavering support of Taiwan’s international participation as Taiwan faced exclusion from the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Switzerland. During a bilateral meeting with Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr., Lai noted that Palau has consistently advocated for Taiwan in various international platforms, including the United Nations General Assembly and the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Focus Taiwan, this marks the ninth consecutive year Taiwan has been excluded from the WHA, the decision-making body of the WHO, which is convening in Geneva from May 21 to May 27. Taiwan’s exclusion since 1972, with the exception of 2009-2015 when it participated as an observer under “Chinese Taipei,” is attributed to pressure from Beijing. Taiwan also attended in 2016, following the inauguration of former President Tsai Ing-wen, but has been absent since.

As Taiwan and Palau celebrated 26 years of diplomatic relations, Lai emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors. Palau remains one of only 12 countries maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwan, despite China’s growing influence in the Pacific, resulting in three of Taiwan’s former Pacific allies switching allegiance to Beijing since 2016.

President Whipps reaffirmed his support for Taiwan, highlighting shared values between the nations. He acknowledged that both countries, as island nations, are committed to human dignity, the rule of law, and self-determination. Whipps, who has resisted China’s pressure to shift Palau’s allegiance, emphasized the positive impact of bilateral collaboration in healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and climate resilience.

The meeting concluded with the signing of agreements on technical cooperation and diplomatic staff training. Earlier, a welcoming ceremony for Whipps’ 12-member delegation, which arrived for a six-day visit, featured military honors outside the Presidential Office.