Taiwan excluded from WHO's annual assembly in response to China's opposition
As a result of Chinese opposition, Taiwan has been excluded from the WHO annual assembly
Despite the island's claims that support was rising for its participation, Taiwan was unsuccessful on Monday in its attempts to receive an invitation to the annual assembly of the World Health Organization.
Taiwan was not invited to the event, which runs from May 21 to 30, by the annual assembly in Geneva. Taiwan's membership was opposed by China and Pakistan, who also lobbied members to do so, and supported by eSwatini and the Marshall Islands. Taiwan is claimed by China as its territory, and Beijing is said to be in charge of "one China," which includes the island.
Taiwan is not included in many international organizations because China insists that it is not a nation.
Taiwan criticized the WHO decision, claiming Beijing had no right to speak for the island and that it was "contemptible" of China to prevent Taiwan from joining international organizations.
According to Taiwan's foreign ministry, "Only Taiwan's democratically elected government can represent Taiwan's 23 million citizens in the WHO and other international organizations and protect the Taiwanese people's health and human rights."
Although Taiwan is permitted to attend select technical WHO meetings, it claimed that being excluded from the WHO made it more difficult to battle the COVID-19 epidemic. China's claims to the island's sovereignty are rejected by the territory, which asserts that only the Taiwanese people have the authority to determine their own future.
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