Madeleine Majorenko, head of the EU office in Taiwan, MEP Neena Gill, and Deputy Minister of MOFA François Wu at the TW-EU forum on May 9 Madeleine Majorenko, head of the EU office in Taiwan, MEP Neena Gill, and Deputy Minister of MOFA François Wu at the TW-EU forum on May 9 (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Madeleine Majorenko, head of the office representing the European Union (EU) in Taiwan, described Wednesday China’s interference in Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) as ‘nonsensical’ and she encouraged the EU member states and other countries to increase pressure on the World Health Organization (WHO).

The most important annual conference for the WHO is scheduled to open on May 21, and the deadline for invited WHO members states and observers to sign up for WHA passed on May 7. Taiwan did not receive the invitation due to Beijing’s attempts to isolate Taiwan from participating in international organizations.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday morning, both Majorenko and Neena Gill, members of the European Parliament who delivered a keynote speech at the Forum on 30 years of EU-Taiwan Relations: Review and Prospect, said Taiwan should be meaningfully represented in WHA.

“It makes no sense to me as to why one would isolate certain parts of the world, when it comes to either global security or global health,” said the MEP, emphasizing that she had spoken up for Taiwan on the issue at the European Parliament over the years.

Majorenko also described the locking out of Taiwan from taking part in global health activities as ‘nonsensical’ during the forum’s panel discussion, and said it could lead to implications for the rest of the world, including China.

“It’s very hard to understand why China, which is very strong and successful, feels so insecure about Taiwan,” said Majorenko.

Refraining from making further comments on politics, Majorenko returned to the question regarding Taiwan's participation in WHA and said, “It is important that EU and other countries do try to push pressure to address this concern.”

Asked about her opinion on the recent attempts of China’s Civil Aviation Administration to purge references to Taiwan as a country on foreign airlines’ websites, Majorenko encouraged European airline companies, if faced pressure or restrictions, to talk to their governments and the EU member states for possible solutions.

The forum was co-hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, as well as the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei.