On March 31, 2022, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) convened high-level representatives of the U.S. Department of State and the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consultations in Washington on expanding Taiwan's participation at the United Nations and in other international fora. Participants exchanged views on addressing global challenges, such as public health, the environment, development assistance, technical standards, and economic cooperation. This discussion focused on opportunities for Taiwan's participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May and the possibilities for Taiwan's participation at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The two sides also discussed Taiwan's contributions through its membership or meaningful participation across other multilateral fora, including regional organizations and multilateral initiatives. All participants recognized the importance of working closely with all those who share our concerns regarding attempts to exclude Taiwan from contributing its expertise, resources, energy, and generosity to the international community.
Participants in the discussion included: State Department Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison, Deputy Assistant Secretaries for International Organization Affairs Nerissa Cook and Jane Rhee, U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Matt Murray, AIT/W Managing Director Ingrid Larsen, TECRO Representative Bi-Khim Hsiao, Secretary General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lily Hsu, MOFA Director General Sharon Wu, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) New York Director General James Lee, TECO Geneva Director General Nicole Su, and TECRO Deputy Representative Liang-Yu Wang.
