Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

Commenting on the respective decisions by the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday evening that this has been the 10th year in a row that the WHA has rejected the so-called proposal concerning Taiwan. China's Taiwan region, unless given approval by the central government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the WHA, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said due to the DPP authorities' persistent separatist stance, the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists. Compared with a handful of countries' political manipulation that trumpets Taiwan's participation in the WHA, the central government's proper arrangement and concrete actions demonstrate real meaning for the livelihood and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan. The so-called "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts is nothing but a politically-driven lie, the spokesperson added.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, also responded to this matter on Monday, saying that the WHA's decision once again shows that adhering to the one-China principle is the prevailing consensus of the international community, and that the basic pattern of the international community upholding the one-China principle is unchallengeable and cannot be shaken.

The 79th WHA decided on Monday not to include in its agenda a proposal by certain countries on Taiwan's participation as an observer, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Earlier on the same day, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Lin Chia-lung, head of Taiwan's so-called foreign affairs authority, for leading a delegation to Geneva to stage a presence amid the WHA session. 

The 79th WHA opened on Monday. Lin claimed that Taiwan remains unable to participate this year due to what he called "diplomatic suppression" from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan regional media CTi News reported. 

At a press conference on Monday, in response to a related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the Taiwan authorities' practice of sending representatives to various meetings to seek attention is nothing but political theatrics and doomed to fail.

"We have already made our position clear," Guo said, adding that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. He said the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. When handling issues related to the Taiwan region, WHO and other international organizations must follow the one-China principle, which is also a fundamental principle as demonstrated by the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1, the spokesperson added.

A CNA report on Monday noted that Lin, the first head of Taiwan's so-called foreign affairs authority to travel to Geneva during the WHA session, claimed that Taiwan's inability to participate in the WHO was mainly due to what he called the mainland's "diplomatic suppression." He also framed the issue not only as a public health matter but also as a diplomatic one.

Lin's Facebook posts also drew mocking comments from some netizens, who criticized his poor English and questioned why he appeared so excited about "showing up uninvited on the WHA." One netizen, Noty Kom, suggested that a "water army" had been hired to post supportive comments and questioned how much money had been spent on what the user called a stunt.

Another netizen, Niecky Lee, mocked that Lin could learn from Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te and "sneak into" the WHA, saying they were "good at this." The comment appeared to allude to Lai allegedly sneaking onto a plane of Eswatini and making his way to Eswatini.

While a netizen weihuweihu9999 wrote on X that "Attempting to exploit the WHO assembly for petty political maneuvers, ignoring the ironclad one-China principle — no matter how much fuss you make, it's all just a waste of effort and won't get you anywhere respectable."

Global Times