The WHO v Taiwan’s lifesaversBy Noa WynnEarthquakes do not care about borders. The whole point of having international health institutions is that disease and disaster are universal problems that require universal solutions. Chinese rescue teams crossed the border, along with teams from India, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Taiwan’s team, with everything needed to pull survivors from rubble and decades of earthquake response experience, got sent home because letting them in would have irritated Beijing. The distance excuse was nonsense, given that Nepal accepted rescue teams from countries much farther away, but the real reason was obvious enough.

Source: Taipei Times December 26, 2025 16:22 UTC