How the Small Dragon Can Help Fight a Virus: Exploring the Link between Taiwan’s COVID-19 Health Diplomacy and the “Campaign” for Its Inclusion in the WHO
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Keywords

Taiwan
One China policy
WHO
health diplomacy
soft power

How to Cite

Kharchuk, S. (2023). How the Small Dragon Can Help Fight a Virus: Exploring the Link between Taiwan’s COVID-19 Health Diplomacy and the “Campaign” for Its Inclusion in the WHO. Refleksje. Pismo Naukowe studentów I doktorantów WNPiD UAM, (24), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.14746/r.2022.1.9

Abstract

COVID-19 became a global disaster. Yet, Taiwan, which lies in close proximity to the People’s Republic of China, is referred to as a “COVID-19 success story”. Moreover, Taiwan has been providing medical assistance to countries affected by the pandemic. The questions arise: did Taiwan’s success in fighting COVID-19 and its health diplomacy become a source of its soft power? Did it translate into countries’ campaign for the island’s inclusion in the WHO? The given research paper uses a qualitative content analysis method and examines the speeches of selected countries’ representatives during the 73rd World Health Assembly. Conclusively, Taiwan’s success in combating COVID-19 and its health diplomacy did not translate into the explicit campaign for its inclusion, with the exception of the US and Japan. Therefore, in this case, Taiwan’s attractiveness proved to have limited power in international politics, for other causal forces prevailed over it.

https://doi.org/10.14746/r.2022.1.9
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