Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
June 24, 2020
(As prepared for Delivery)
Good morning!
It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to this virtual workshop held under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework.
I was delighted to learn that many participants today are alumni of previous GCTF workshops on public health. It's wonderful to have you with us again.
Earlier this month, we proudly celebrated the fifth anniversary of the GCTF. Since the Framework's inception, Taiwan and the US, joined later by Japan and other partner countries such as Australia and Sweden have held 23 international training workshops on a wide range of topics.
In recognition of its immense value, the GCTF has been taken to the next level with the establishment of the GCTF Secretariat on June 1. In addition, the GCTF Alumni Network will be launched very soon. Taiwan hopes to help expand this framework so that it can do more to help address key global issues.
The topic of today's workshop is both timely and critical. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that infectious disease knows no borders. By implementing early and effective measures to trace and contain the spread of the disease, Taiwan has been fortunate that the outbreak has had limited impact on the daily lives of our people.
However, as some countries hope to lift the lockdown and stimulate their economies, all of us are wary of a possible new wave of infections. It is clear that this problem will require a concerted global response. Your participation today will certainly be instrumental to the formation of possible solutions to this important issue.
Once again, thank you for taking part in today's online event. We have gathered a terrific panel of experts today, so I have no doubt that we will enjoy productive and fruitful discussions. Thank you.