Taiwan rejects WHO chief's allegations of responsibility for racist attacks

Taiwanese officials on Thursday strongly denied allegations from World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that it was linked to a racist smear campaign against him.

Tedros, a former Ethiopian health and foreign minister who is the WHO’s first African head, said at a Wednesday press briefing in Geneva that Taiwan’s foreign ministry was responsible for threats and racist abuse he has received in recent months.

“This attack came from Taiwan,” Tedros said Wednesday, claiming the country’s diplomats had been aware of the attacks and failed to dissociate themselves from them, according to The Associated Press. “They even started criticizing me in the middle of all those insults and slurs. I say it today because it’s enough."

In a statement, the Taiwanese foreign ministry registered “strong dissatisfaction and a high degree of regret” with the comment, calling on Tedros to “immediately correct his unfounded allegations, immediately clarify, and apologize to our country.”