Keywords
One China policy
WHO
health diplomacy
soft power
How to Cite
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.
References
American Institute in Taiwan (2020), AIT Director Christensen stopped by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to personally thank Minister Chen and the CECC team for all their hard work over the past few months, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AIT.Social.Media/posts/10158036830633490, 03.11.2020.
Aspinwall N. (2020), Taiwan’s COVID-19 Success Story Continues as Neighbors Fend Off New Outbreaks, “The Diplomat”, https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/taiwans-covid-19-success-story-continues-as-neighbors-fend-off-new-outbreaks/, 17.10.2020.
Central Intelligence Agency (2021a), Czechia, “The World Factbook”, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/czechia/#people-and-society, 20.04.2021.
Central Intelligence Agency (2021b), Taiwan, “The World Factbook”, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/taiwan/#people-and-society, 20.04.2021.
Chang-Ching Tu (2020), Lessons from Taiwan’s experience with COVID-19, “Atlantic Council”, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/lessonsfrom-taiwans-experience-with-covid-19/, 31.10.2020.
Cooper J. F. (2013), Taiwan: Nation-State or Province? (6th ed.), Westview Press, Boulder.
Dean-Chen Yin J. (2021), WHO, COVID-19, and Taiwan as the Ghost Island, “Global public health”, pp. 1–16 [Advance online publication]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2021.1890184
Economist Intelligence Unit (2021), Democracy Index 2020: In sickness and in health? [Report], Available upon request at: https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2020/, 25.04.2021.
Feinsilver J. M. (2010), Fifty Years of Cuba’s Medical Diplomacy: From Idealism to Pragmatism, “Cuban Studies”, 41, pp. 85–104, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24487229, 24.10.2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/cub.2010.a413140
Fidler D. (2005), Health as Foreign Policy: Between Principle and Power, “The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations”, pp. 179–194, https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1524&context=facpub, 25.04.2021.
Fidler D. (2006), Health as foreign policy: harnessing globalization for health,“Health Promotion International”, 21(1), pp. 51–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dal051
Focus Taiwan (2020), 14 countries voice support for Taiwan’s WHA participation: MOFA, https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202005190015, 23.04.2021.
Glaser Ch. (2011), Will China’s Rise Lead to War? Why Realism Does Not Mean Pessimism, “Foreign Affairs”, 90(2), pp. 80–91, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25800459, 31.10.2020.
Glaser Ch. (2015), A U.S.-China Grand Bargain? The Hard Choice between Military Competition and Accommodation, “International Security”, 39(4), pp. 49–90, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24480607, 31.10.2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/ISEC_a_00199
Herington J., Lee K. (2014), The limits of global health diplomacy: Taiwan’s observer status at the world health assembly, “Globalization and health”, 10, p. 71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-014-0071-y
Hermann M. (2008), Content Analysis, in: Qualitative Methods in International Relations: A Pluralist Guide (pp. 151–168), eds. A. Klotz, Deepa Prakash, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Hilton Yip (2020), Fear of China Made Taiwan a Coronavirus Success Story, “Foreign Policy”, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/16/taiwan-china-fear-coronavirus-success/, 18.10.2020.
Horton C., Lauly Li, Cheng Ting-Tang (2020), Taiwan counters China’s isolation campaign with mask diplomacy, “Nikkei Asia”, https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-counters-China-s-isolation-campaignwith-mask-diplomacy, 18.10.2020.
Horton C. (2019), Taiwan’s Status Is a Geopolitical Absurdity, “The Atlantic”, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/07/taiwans-status-geopolitical-absurdity/593371/, 30.10.2020.
Jennings R. (2020), Taiwan Competes with China through World Medical Diplomacy, “Voice of America News”, https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/taiwan-competes-china-through-world-medical-diplomacy, 18.10.2020.
Jerzewski M., Kuan-Ting Chen (2020), Taiwan’s Health Diplomacy Didn’t Start With the COVID-19 Crisis, “The Diplomat”, https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/taiwans-health-diplomacy-didnt-start-with-the-covid-19-crisis/, 18.10.2020.
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine (n.d.), COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html, 24.04.2021.
Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China (Normalization Communique), January 1, 1979, https://www.ait.org.tw/our-relationship/policy-history/key-u-s-foreign-policy-documents-region/u-s-prc-joint-communique-1979/, 25.10.2020.
Katz R., Kornblet S., Arnold G., Lief E., Fischer J. E. (2011), Defining health diplomacy: changing demands in the era of globalization, “The Milbank quarterly”,89(3), pp. 503–523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2011.00637.x
Kickbusch I., Silberschmidt G., Buss P. (2007), Global health diplomacy: the need for new perspectives, strategic approaches and skills in global health, “Bulletin of the World Health Organization”, 85(3), pp. 230–232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.06.039222
Kissinger H. (2011), On China, Penguin Books, London.
Lindemann B. A. (2012), Cross-Strait Relations and International Organisations: Taiwan’s Participation in IGOs in the Context of Its Relationship with China, Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
Manthorpe J. (2005), Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Mearsheimer J. (2014), Taiwan’s Dire Straits, “The National Interest”, 130, pp. 29–39, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44153277, 31.10.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (n.d.-a), Diplomatic allies, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/AlliesIndex.aspx?n=DF6F8F246049F8D6&sms=A76B7230ADF29736, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (n.d.-b), Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is helping!, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n= AF70B-0F54FFB164B, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020a), MOFA announces donation of 10 million face masks to the US, Europe, diplomatic allies to extend humanitarian assistance in wake of COVID-19 [Press Release], https://en.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=1329&s=91671, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020b), Taiwan and Europe. Cooperation and assistance to combat COVID-19, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/Upload/UserFiles/files/Taiwan%20and%20Europe_1102.pdf, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020c), Taiwan and Latin America & the Caribbean. Cooperation and assistance to combat COVID-19, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/Upload/UserFiles/files/Taiwan%20and%20Latin%20America_1102.pdf, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020d), Taiwan and North America. Cooperation and assistance to combat COVID-19, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/Upload/UserFiles/files/Taiwan%20and%20North%20America_1102.pdf, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020e), Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region. Cooperation and assistance to combat COVID-19, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/Upload/UserFiles/files/Taiwan%20and%20the%20Asia-Pacific_1102.pdf, 03.11.2020.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020f), Taiwan and West Asia & Africa. Cooperation and assistance to combat COVID-19, https://www.mofa.gov.tw/Upload/UserFiles/files/2-4Taiwan%20and%20West%20Asia%20%26%20Africa(2).pdf, 03.11.2020.
Morgenthau H. J. (2004), Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace (6th ed.), Peking University Press, Beijing.
Nye J. S. (2004), Soft Power. The Means to Success in World Politics, Public Affairs, New York.
Rawnsley Gary D. (2014), Taiwan’s Soft Power and Public Diplomacy, “Journal of Current Chinese Affairs”, 43(3), pp. 161–174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/186810261404300307
Rawnsley G. (2017), Soft Power Rich, Public Diplomacy Poor: An Assessment of Taiwan’s External Communications, “The China Quarterly”, 232, pp. 982–1001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741017001084
Secretary Pompeo [@SecPompeo] (2020), During tough times, real friends stick together [Tweet], Twitter, https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1247990657328742401, 03.11.2020.
Shattuck T. J. (2020), The Race to Zero?: China’s Poaching of Taiwan’s Diplomatic Allies, “Orbis”, 64(2), pp. 334–352. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2020.02.003
Sui C. (2020), What Taiwan can teach the world on fighting the coronavirus, “NBC News”, https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/what-taiwan-canteach-world-fighting-coronavirus-n1153826, 18.10.2020.
Taiwan News (2020), EU, US thank Taiwan for donations of surgical masks, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3909073, 03.11.2020.
Taylor I. (2002), Taiwan’s Foreign Policy and Africa: the limitations of dollar diplomacy, “Journal of Contemporary China”, 11(30), pp. 125–140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10670560120091174
Teh-Chang Lin, Jean Yen-Chun Lin (2017), Taiwan’s Foreign Aid in Transition: From ODA to Civil Society Approaches, “Japanese Journal of Political Science”, 18(4), pp. 469–490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1468109917000135
Tsai Ing-wen (2020), President of Taiwan: How My Country Prevented a Major Outbreak of COVID-19, “Time”, https://time.com/collection/finding-hope-coronavirus-pandemic/5820596/taiwan-coronavirus-lessons/, 30.10.2020.
Tucker N. B., Glaser B. (2011), Should the United States Abandon Taiwan?, “The Washington Quarterly”, 34(4), pp. 23–37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0163660X.2011.609128
Ursula von der Leyen [@vonderleyen] (2020), The European Union thanks Taiwan for its donation of 5.6 million masks to help fight the #coronavirus [Tweet], Twitter,https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1245399247232684034, 08.11.2020.
U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqué, February 28, 1972, https://www.ait.org.tw/our-relationship/policy-history/key-u-s-foreign-policy-documents-region/u-s-prcjoint-communique-1972/, 25.10.2020.
Van Der Wees G. (2017), China Continues to Block Taiwan in the International Arena, “The Diplomat”, https://thediplomat.com/2017/05/china-continues-toblock-taiwan-in-the-international-arena/, 18.10.2020.
Waltz K. (2000), Structural Realism after the Cold War, “International Security”, 25(1), pp. 5–41, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2626772, 31.10.2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/016228800560372
Wang C. J., Ng C. Y., Brook R. H. (2020), Response to COVID-19 in Taiwan: Big Data Analytics, New Technology, and Proactive Testing, “JAMA”, 323(14), pp. 1341–1342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.3151
Ward J. (2020), Taiwan’s Medical Diplomacy in the Caribbean: A Final Stand Against Beijing?, “The Diplomat”, https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/taiwans-medical-diplomacy-in-the-caribbean-a-final-stand-against-beijing/, 18.10.2020.
World Health Organisation (n.d.-a). Statements submitted by Member States and other participants at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly, https://apps.who.int/gb/statements/WHA73/,27.04.2021.
World Health Organisation (n.d.-b), World Health Assembly 73: Plenary Meeting, 18 May 2020 – Session 1 [Video – English], Documentation of WHO for Executive
Board sessions and Health Assemblies, World Health Assembly Archive, https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=en, 27.04.2021.
World Health Organisation (n.d.-c), World Health Assembly 73: Plenary Meeting, 18 May 2020 – Session 2 [Video – English], Documentation of WHO for Executive
Board sessions and Health Assemblies, World Health Assembly Archive, https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=en, 27.04.2021.
World Health Organisation (n.d.-d), World Health Assembly 73: Plenary Meeting, 18 May 2020 – Session 3 [Video – English], Documentation of WHO for Executive Board sessions and Health Assemblies, World Health Assembly Archive, https://player.4am.ch/who/20200518-19_wha73/player.html?lang=en, 27.04.2021.
You-Jie Chen, Cohen J. A. (2020), Why Does the WHO Exclude Taiwan?, “Council on Foreign Relations”, https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/why-does-who-excludetaiwan, 30.10.2020.
Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy (2020), Time for a Positive EU Policy on Taiwan, “The Diplomat”, https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/time-for-a-positive-eu-policy-ontaiwan/, 30.10.2020.
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Solomiya Kharchuk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.