Taiwan-Italy Mahjong Friendship Tournament Held as Alternative Support for Taiwan's WHA Participation

(CNA, Rome, May 18, by reporter Huang Ya-shih) The "Taiwan-Italy Mahjong Friendship Tournament" was grandly held yesterday at the Faenza City Hall in northern Italy. Overseas Taiwanese and friends from Taiwan and Italy jointly expressed their support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) in an alternative and culturally rich manner. Faenza Mayor Massimo Isola and Director-General Lin Tsan-nan of the Taipei Representative Office in Milan were invited to attend and preside over the opening ceremony. More than a hundred Taiwanese and Italian mahjong enthusiasts participated, creating a lively atmosphere. According to a press release from the Milan office, Mayor Isola stated in his speech that Faenza has long valued cultural exchange and international friendship. He was pleased that an activity like mahjong, which is both cultural and social, could promote interaction and understanding between the people of Italy and Taiwan, and he looked forward to deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. In his speech, Director-General Lin Tsan-nan specifically thanked Mayor Isola for his strong support. Before the tournament began, he joined overseas Taiwanese from Bologna, Milan, and Rome for a group photo in front of the Faenza Cathedral to show support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA. Lin stated that mahjong is an important social activity deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture, which not only helps train memory and thinking skills but also promotes interpersonal communication, closely related to health and well-being. Lin emphasized that health is a universal basic right that should not be subject to discrimination or limited by national borders. Taiwan has an excellent medical system and made significant contributions to global public health security during the pandemic. He expressed hope that the international community would support Taiwan's admission to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its meaningful participation in the WHA, held from May 18 to 23 in Geneva, allowing Taiwan to work with the world to promote global health and well-being. The Milan office stated that the Taiwan-Italy Mahjong Friendship Tournament was a complete success, thanks to the help of enthusiastic overseas Taiwanese, including Antonella Quaneti, President of the 'Friends of Mahjong in Italy' alliance, senior community leader Hsia Han-ying, and Chung Shao-wen, president of the Bologna Taiwanese Association. It not only fostered a great event of people-to-people exchange between Taiwan and Italy but also demonstrated broad support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA. The participating overseas community also held a Mother's Day banquet and visited cultural attractions in the city, arranged by the Faenza city government. (Editor: Tang Sheng-yang) 1150518