Taiwan excluded from WHO annual assembly after China's opposition; Taipei reacts

Taiwan has been excluded from the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual assembly - the World Health Assembly (WHA) - following opposition from China, despite Taipei asserting that support was growing for its participation. The WHA in Geneva decided not to extend Taiwan an invitation to the summit that started on Sunday (May 21) and will go on till May 30. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Monday, China, as well as Pakistan, urged members to reject Taiwan's inclusion while eSwatini and the Marshall Islands spoke in favour.

China welcomes WHO's decision

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The Chinese government welcomed the WHO's decision to exclude Taiwan from its annual assembly. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "This fully shows that the one-China principle is the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times in the international community and cannot be challenged in any way."

The ministry added that before the opening of the conference, nearly 100 countries expressed their adherence to the one-China principle and their opposition to Taiwan's participation in the assembly.

"China also urges certain countries not to pretend to be confused, stop politicising the health issue, stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the Taiwan issue, and stop the erroneous practice of using 'Taiwan to control China'," the ministry added.

Exclusion poses significant threat to global health: Taiwan's health minister

Taiwan's Health Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan slammedthe WHO's decision by saying that his country's exclusion from the UN health agency's annual assembly posed a significant threat to global health.

"Excluding Taiwan from WHO not only jeopardises the right to health of the 23.5 million people of Taiwan, it also seriously undermines WHO's efforts to achieve health for all," Jui-yuan said on Sunday at an event hosted by the Geneva Press Club, news agency AFP reported.

Jui-yuan warned that leaving the self-ruled island out in the cold hampered the swift and efficient sharing of information that would be needed to prevent or more efficiently respond to the next pandemic threat.

"I am afraid that Taiwan will become the gap of the next pandemic," the health minister added.

The US mission in Geneva too criticised the WHO's decision by saying Taiwan's exclusion "undermines inclusive global public health cooperation led by WHO."

Taiwan was expelled from the WHO in 1972, a year after it lost the "China" seat at the UN to the People's Republic of China. But Taiwan was allowed to attend the agency's top annual meetings between 2009 and 2016 as an observer when relations with China were warmer.

However, it has been blocked from attending the annual assembly in recent years by China and the Chinese government staunchly opposed efforts to include Taiwan as a WHA observer.

(With inputs from agencies)

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