Taiwan Excluded From WHO Assembly for 10th Year; USTR Greer Contradicts Trump — 'No Change in US Policy' on Taiwan Arms; Lai: Taiwan 'Will Not Yield Sovereignty'

Two significant diplomatic developments converged on May 18, 2026. First, the 79th World Health Assembly opened in Geneva, Switzerland — and Taiwan was excluded for the tenth consecutive year, a milestone that drew immediate protests from Taipei, Washington, and the EU. The US and the European Union had publicly expressed support for Taiwan's WHA participation (Focus Taiwan, May 14). Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the exclusion as 'politically motivated and a disservice to global health.' Second, and more consequential for Taiwan's security, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer broke publicly with President Trump's 'bargaining chip' framing on May 17-18, stating there is 'no change in American policy' on Taiwan arms sales — directly contradicting Trump's post-summit declarations that the $14B PAC-3/NASAMS package was 'in abeyance' as a 'very good negotiating chip with China' (Trump, May 15-16). The intra-administration incoherence — with Rubio calling arms discussions something that 'did not feature prominently' and Greer flat-out denying policy change — signals that Trump's personal transactionalism on Taiwan has not yet been institutionalized into formal policy. President Lai Ching-te meanwhile reinforced his position from May 17: 'Arms purchases are the most important deterrent of regional conflict. Taiwan will not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity.' Lai additionally invoked Taiwan's role as the world's primary advanced semiconductor supplier, arguing that TSMC's ~72% global foundry share creates shared strategic interest with Washington independent of any arms negotiation. The HIMARS payment deadline (May 31) is now 13 days away, and the Trump administration's internal contradictions on the arms package introduce uncertainty that HIMARS advocates warn Beijing will exploit.