WHO members reject proposal to invite Taiwan to participate in annual assembly

GENEVA, May 18 (Reuters) - Member states of the World Health Organization on Monday rejected a proposal to ​invite Taiwan to its annual assembly in Geneva after ‌China said it would block its participation.

During the meeting, which started on Monday, China took to the floor, alongside Pakistan, to oppose ​the motion. The assembly accepted Taiwan’s exclusion.

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“China does not ​agree to the participation of China’s Taiwan region in ⁠the World Health Assembly in any form,” a Chinese ​delegate told member states.

Palau, which was among a number of ​countries supporting a proposal to include Taiwan as an observer in the WHA, told delegates Taiwan’s exclusion was unjustified and risked weakening global disease ​surveillance and information sharing.

“Global health governance cannot afford gaps, excluding ​any capable and responsible partner, including Taiwan, creates precisely such a gap,” ‌the ⁠delegate from Palau said.

Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections from Beijing, which considers the democratically governed island its territory.

Taiwan’s foreign minister announced his arrival on Sunday ​in Switzerland ​for events on ⁠the sidelines of the WHO meeting.

Taiwan attended the World Health Assembly 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”.

Reporting by ​Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Friederike Heine and Chiara Rodriquez

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