Formosa Club
Address to the Inaugural Meeting of the Formosa Club in the Indo-Pacific Region, May 10, 2022
Excellencies, Distinguished guests and panellists, Ladies and Gentlemen: Thank you for the invitation to participate in this inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific chapter of the Formosa Club.
The Formosa Club has enjoyed widespread support from legislators and public officials from many countries, inaugurating chapters in Europe, Canada, Africa and elsewhere in recent years. This inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific chapter builds on these initiatives and is a welcome development.
It is doubtful that any other issue in recent decades has had the significant impact as the spread from Wuhan of the Covid 19 coronavirus. It has respected neither borders nor boundaries; neither ethnicities nor entities of government. It is neither ideological nor subject to political direction. Its victims are in all communities, all classes and all countries.
In the face of this significant ongoing challenge, a global response is required. To adopt the English poet, John Donne’s famous expression, ‘no country is an island, entire of itself.’ A global pandemic requires a global response from which no country or region is excluded.
This is why the Australian government has supported the full involvement of Taiwan in the response.
As a representative of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “the challenge of Covid-19 demands a determined, global response. The World Health Organisation must therefore maintain a close working relationship with all health authorities. We support Taiwan’s participation as an observer or guest, consistent with our One-China policy.’
Speaking to the 74th session of the World Health Assembly in May 2021, Health Minister Greg Hunt reiterated this approach when he said ‘in response to the pandemic . . ., inclusivity has never been more important as we confront the immediate impacts on communities and economies. It is essential that no populations or potential partners are excluded”
Prime Minister Morrison also acknowledged the importance of Taiwan as an observer at the World Health Assembly and has supported Taiwan’s World Health Organisation participation.
Australia has also recognised that such participation goes beyond the World Health Organisation and Assembly – and the immediate global response to the pandemic.
In a joint statement at the Australia United States Ministerial Dialogue, the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both nations affirmed Taiwan’s important role in the Indo-Pacific region as well as their intent to support Taiwan’s membership of international organisation or meaningful participation as an observer or guest.
International health experts generally believe that there will be future pandemics, perhaps more deadly than Covid-19. Accordingly, we face an imperative to fully discover and understand the origins of Covid-19; to evaluate our individual and collective responses; and to cooperatively share our plans and proposals for future response.
There is much we still need to understand. To take just one example. Sweden, which shunned the extensive lockdowns imposed elsewhere in Europe and in most of the world, had the lowest death rate in Europe according to the World Health Organisation. Similarly, we can also learn from the experience in Taiwan, as outlined by the former Vice President Dr Chen Chien-Jen in his keynote presentation.
Living in the diverse region of the Indo-Pacific underlines this task. Our nations vary greatly in size, location, population density, economic activity and cultural backgrounds – yet we share the one humanity and like challenges to our health, security and wellbeing.
Just as Covid knows no boundaries, our response should neither.
I welcome the formation of this Indo-Pacific Chapter of the Formosa Club and look forward to future activities.
