Taiwan left out of WHA for 9th straight year after ally proposal fails

Geneva, May 19 (CNA) A proposal by Taiwan's diplomatic allies to invite Taiwan to this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected as expected on Monday, ensuring Taipei's absence from the annual world health meeting for a ninth consecutive year.

After the opening of this year's WHA -- the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body -- on Monday morning (Geneva time), the first agenda item was a "two-on-two debate" on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer.

Similar to years past, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition, and the outcome was no different.

Teodoro Herbosa of the Philippines, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee's recommendation "not to include the proposed supplementary agenda item [referring to the proposal] on the [WHA] agenda."

The decision meant that Taiwan was left out of the WHA for the ninth year in a row.

Speaking in opposition, Chen Xu (陳旭), China's permanent representative to the U.N. office at Geneva, cited U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 to argue that China fully represents Taiwan and that raising the issue of Taiwan's participation amounts to interference in China's internal affairs.

Backing China's stance, Zaman Mehdi, Pakistan's deputy permanent representative to the U.N. office at Geneva, reaffirmed the South Asian country's support for Beijing's "one China principle," as well as its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Belize and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -- two of Taiwan's 12 formal diplomatic allies around the globe -- laid out their reasons for supporting Taiwan's inclusion in the WHA.

This year, however, they shifted their focus from praising Taiwan's public health contributions, as they had in the past, to challenging China's interpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758.

The resolution, which led to the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) leaving the WHO in 1972 following its adoption, explicitly expelled "the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" -- the leader of the ROC government at the time.

It also recognized the representatives of the People's Republic of China (PRC, China's official name) as the "only legitimate representatives of China," but "Taiwan" was not mentioned.

Belize's Health & Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard said the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 "do not determine Taiwan's participation in WHO activities."

"These resolutions do not justify the exclusion of Taiwan, nor do they grant China the right to represent the Taiwanese people. The government of the People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan," he said.

Echoing Bernard, St. Clair Prince, minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, said the two resolutions do not mention Taiwan, "nor do they confirm Taiwan to be part of any other nation."

"Hence, these resolutions have nothing to do with and do not address the issue of Taiwan's representation in the U.N. system," he said.

Prince also noted that Taiwan was invited to attend the WHA as an observer for eight years between 2009 and 2016, but that arrangement was "unfortunately discontinued for political and not health reasons."

Since 1972, Taiwan has been shut out from the WHA due to Beijing's pressure, except from 2009 to 2015 as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei" when relations with China were warmer under Taiwan's then-Kuomintang government.

It also attended in 2016, just days after former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party took office, but has not participated since.

With Taiwan's last chance to participate in this year's WHA ruled out, Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) is expected to submit a formal letter of protest to the WHO, in line with past practice.

In response to the rejection, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said it "strongly condemned" China and Pakistan's opposition to the proposal inviting Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer.

Their opposition has neglected the basic rights of Taiwan's people to participate in international affairs, MOFA said.