Taiwan shuts itself out of conference

Beijing said on Monday that refusing to recognize the"1992 Consensus", which embodies the one-China principle, has undermined the political foundation for Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remark at a news briefing on Monday as registration for the 71st assembly was about to close and Taiwan had still not received an invitation to attend.

"The Democratic Progressive Party authority should bear full responsibility for Taiwan's not being invited to the assembly this year," Geng said.

The one-China principle is widely accepted around the world and is explicitly mentioned in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and World Health Assembly Resolution 25.1, providing a guideline for the World Health Organization to deal with Taiwan-related issues, he said.

UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 clearly stipulate that representatives of the government of People's Republic of China are the only legitimate representatives of China to the UN, the WHO and all other UN agencies. Taiwan, as a province of China, is not eligible to participate in the WHA.

From 2009 to 2016, Taiwan had been invited, under observer status, to the WHA using the name Chinese Taipei.

Geng noted that such special arrangements were made through negotiations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan based on the "1992 Consensus".

Also on Monday, An Fengshan, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that only by returning to the common political foundation of the"1992 Consensus" can Taiwan continue institutionalized exchanges with the Chinese mainland and conduct negotiations on its participation in international events.

He noted that under the current situation, the leaders in Taiwan should reflect on why it still can't attend the assembly rather than shirking responsibility, shifting focus and misleading the public in Taiwan and the international community.

Under arrangements made by China and the WHO, Taiwan experts can participate in WHO-related technical meetings and activities under proper status, and the WHO will send experts to Taiwan for guidance when necessary, he said.

Zhu Songling, a professor of Taiwan studies at Beijing Union University said that "it is nobody's fault but its own", and refusing to recognize the one-China principle will further restrict Taiwan's international space.

The 71st WHA will be held in Geneva from May 21 to 26. The assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO.

zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/08/2018 page3)