WHA: Taiwan-Related Proposal Turned Down Again

On Monday, the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO) refused to include a proposal on Taiwan's participation in its agenda for the 75th WHA, which runs from May 22-28. 

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Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, told a press conference that the refusal to invite Taiwan to the event demonstrates the international community's consensus on adherence to the one-China principle.

In this regard, he said that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 provide the legal basis for the WHO to respect the one-China principle.

During the WHA meeting on Monday, Chen Xu said that "the political foundation for the Taiwan region to join the WHA has ceased to exist" since the region's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities endorsed the Taiwan independence separatist stance.

According to the Chinese diplomat, the Taiwan-related proposal is illegal and invalid and is contrary to international law and the fundamental norms governing international relations. 
  
Chen Xu also referred to the already five times since 2017 that the assembly has rejected proposals related to the Taiwan region. In this sense, he acknowledged that before the assembly, more than 90 countries have expressed their adherence to the one-China principle and their opposition to Taiwan's participation in the WHA sending letters to the WHO.

The senior Chinese official said the Taiwan region has never been left out of the global pandemic prevention system, while referring to claims of a gap in global anti-pandemic efforts, which he said are nothing more than a despicable ploy by the DPP to "seek independence."

Chen Xu said the DPP authorities have taken the support of a few Western countries and diplomatic allies to make a headway in the WHA with a bid for "Taiwan independence."

According to Chen Xu, any act that challenges or violates UN resolutions will be condemned by the international community and will be fated to fail. 

Taiwan's future and hope rest in the peaceful development of relations across the Strait as well as reunification with the mainland, rather than banking on the empty promises of external forces, the Chinese diplomat said, urging the countries concerned to respect the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and adhere to the one-China principle.