The Foreign Ministry says only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its people in the WHO. The ministry spoke on Tuesday in response to China’s assertion at the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday that the “one China” principle allows Beijing to represent Taiwan.
Taiwan was not invited to the WHA, which kicked off on Sunday, despite outspoken support from many WHO members. Twelve of Taiwan’s democratic allies also submitted a proposal to allow Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer, but the WHA decided not to include the proposal in the assembly’s agenda.
The Foreign Ministry says China, Cuba, and Pakistan have distorted interpretations of international agreements by saying Taiwan can only join global organizations with Beijing’s permission. Taiwan’s Health Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) has brought a delegation to the WHA’s host city, Geneva, to speak out against China using political pressure to exclude Taiwan.
Foreign Ministry official Li Kuan-te (李冠德) has criticized Beijing’s claim that this arrangement still allows Taiwan to exchange information with the WHO. The United States also immediately responded to China’s statement, saying Taiwan had a successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic and it should be included in the WHO.