China says it won't allow Taiwan to attend WHO's annual assembly

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BEIJING: China said on Monday (May 11) it would not allow Taiwan to take part in the annual assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), which starts next week, as Taiwan said it would send a delegation anyway for meetings outside the actual event.

Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections from Beijing, which considers the democratically governed island its territory.

Taiwan attended the WHO's World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer from 2009 to 2016 under the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism agreements with China.

But Beijing began blocking Taiwan's participation in 2017, after then-President Tsai Ing-wen won office, for her refusal to agree to China's position that both China and Taiwan are part of "one China". Current President Lai Ching-te has continued Tsai's policy.

TAIWAN TO HOLD OWN EVENTS, MEET EXPERTS

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiankun said the People's Republic of China was the sole legitimate government of the whole country.

"In order to uphold the 'One China' principle and defend the seriousness and authority of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the WHA, China has decided not to agree to the participation of the Taiwan region in this year's WHA," he said in Beijing. 

Speaking in Taipei, Taiwan Health Minister Shih Chung-liang said it was a "shame" the island had not been invited especially given the pressing health challenges facing the world.

"We should not be absent, and should be even more proactive about taking part," he said.

Shih added that he would lead a delegation to Geneva for Taiwan's own events and meetings with health experts.

Speaking next to Shih, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said he was considering going with him to Geneva.

Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says Beijing has no right to speak for or claim to represent the island's 23 million people.

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