Taipei [Taiwan] May 14 : Taiwan has sharply criticised China after Beijing announced it would not approve Taipei's participation in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA), intensifying tensions over Taiwan's international status.
Taiwanese officials accused China of abusing political influence to isolate the island from global health discussions, as reported by The Taipei Times.
According to The Taipei Times, speaking at a weekly briefing, Deputy Director of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of International Organizations, Chang Chih-sha, asserted that Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent state.
Chang said the People's Republic of China has no authority to represent Taiwan within the United Nations system or its affiliated bodies. Chang also urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) Secretariat to remain neutral and resist pressure from Beijing, which has repeatedly opposed Taiwan's inclusion in the WHA, the WHO's highest decision-making body.
Taiwan is excluded from the UN because of diplomatic disputes surrounding its status, meaning it requires separate invitations to participate in meetings hosted by UN-linked organisations.
China defended its stance earlier this week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing's "One China" principle, arguing that Taiwan's involvement in international organisations must comply with Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Guo stated that China had decided not to approve "the Taiwan area's participation" in this year's WHA.
The 79th World Health Assembly is scheduled to begin in Geneva next week, where WHO member states will gather to shape international health policy and priorities.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said the island has now been excluded from the WHA for ten straight years because of mounting Chinese pressure, as highlighted by The Taipei Times.
Taiwan last attended the assembly in 2016 as an observer during a period of relatively warmer ties with Beijing.
Since then, Taiwan has instead organised parallel events in Geneva to highlight its healthcare achievements. This year, Taiwan plans to showcase smart healthcare technology and overseas medical assistance programmes during events held alongside the WHA, as reported by The Taipei Times.
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