Summary Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung arrived in Switzerland on Sunday with health minister Taiwan says island's exclusion from assembly undermines global health security China has blocked Taiwan from World Health Assembly since 2017 This year's WHA is taking place from May 18 to M

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2026-05-18 13:28:25

Summary
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung arrived in Switzerland on Sunday with health minister
Taiwan says island’s exclusion from assembly undermines global health security
China has blocked Taiwan from World Health Assembly since 2017
This year’s WHA is taking place from May 18 to May 23

BEIJING/TAIPEI, May 18 (Reuters) - China ‌said on Monday it opposed countries providing platforms for “Taiwan independence separatist” activities, after Taiwan’s foreign minister arrived in Switzerland for events on the sidelines of a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting.

China said last week it would once again not allow Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, to take part in the WHO’s annual World Health Assembly (WHA), which takes place this week.

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But as in previous years, Taiwan has sent a ⁠delegation to hold its own meetings and this year Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has also gone, joining Health Minister Shih Chung-liang.

“The Taiwan authorities’ practice of sending people around the world to wedge into conferences to grab attention is nothing more than the behaviour of petty clowns,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

“It will only bring humiliation on themselves and is doomed to fail,” Guo said.

Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says China has no right to represent or speak for the island internationally.

Lin announced his arrival in Geneva on Facebook on Sunday, and on Monday President Lai Ching-te sent a video message to a forum Taiwan is holding ‌in ⁠Geneva.

“By joining the WHO, Taiwan could better ensure the right to health for all our people, and do even more to support the rest of the world,” Lai said.

PARTICIPATION BLOCKED SINCE 2017

In his current capacity Lin is not known to have previously visited non-EU member Switzerland, which like most countries maintains formal diplomatic ties with Beijing rather than Taipei and has ⁠a free trade agreement with China.

However, since becoming foreign minister in 2024, Lin has made several trips to other European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy, drawing anger in Beijing.

Taiwan attended the WHA 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”.

Lai has continued Tsai’s policy.

“International organisations, including the WHO, must handle Taiwan-related issues in accordance with the one-China principle,” Guo said.

Reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Kate Mayberry and Thomas Derpinghaus

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