Member states of the World Health Organization on Monday rejected a proposal to invite Taiwan to its annual assembly in Geneva after China said it would block its participation.
– During the meeting, which started on Monday, China took to the floor, alongside Pakistan, to oppose the motion. The assembly accepted Taiwan’s exclusion.
– “China does not agree to the participation of China’s Taiwan region in the World Health Assembly in any form,” a Chinese delegate told member states.
– Palau, which was among a number of countries supporting a proposal to include Taiwan as an observer in the WHA, told delegates Taiwan’s exclusion was unjustified and risked weakening global disease surveillance and information sharing.
– “Global health governance cannot afford gaps, excluding any capable and responsible partner, including Taiwan, creates precisely such a gap,” the delegate from Palau said.
– Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections from Beijing, which considers the democratically governed island its territory.
– Taiwan’s foreign minister announced his arrival on Sunday in Switzerland for events on the sidelines of the WHO meeting.
– Taiwan attended the World Health Assembly as an observer from 2009 to 2016 under the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism pacts 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 its position that both China and Taiwan were part of “one China”.