Chinese officials should be more concerned with transparency and cooperation with the international community than with a visit by a U.S. government official to Taiwan, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told The Story on Tuesday.
“Well, as secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo said yesterday that the Chinese Communist Party must feel quite weak and insecure when an attempt by a health secretary to meet with other health colleagues in the midst of a pandemic, to an area like Taiwan – which has been a model of transparency and openness and democratic values in this – [is enough] somehow sending fighter jets, “Azar host Martha MacCallum said.
AZAR ACCUSES CHINA OF ‘HOBBLING’ CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
When MacCallum noted that Beijing does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country, Azar denies that his visit is “fully consistent” with long-standing US policy.
“What the Communist Party of China needs to be more focused on is becoming more transparent, open and co-operative about COVID-19,” he said. “When they brought this about us by hiding so much about this virus and its origins, as well as preventing the nature of the disease and international observers … if this virus had originated in Taiwan or the United States, an open , be democratic, transparent public health system, we could have stopped it in its tracks. “
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Azar notes that China has been malevolent in the past when it comes to Taiwan and viral outbreaks, and recalls that Taiwan has offered $ 1 million in “no strings attached” aid to combat the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa , only for China to complain to the World Health Organization and crush the supply.
“[They] said Taiwan can no longer participate in Observer Status – which it has done for years – they are harassing the WHO, they are harassing Taiwan and kicking Taiwan out, “he said, adding that he and President Trump have lobbied the WHO to subdue Taiwan again give “Observer status.”
