People wearing masks walk on street in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A handful of countries have claimed that Taiwan should be invited as an observer in the upcoming session of the World Health Assembly (WHA). Such a show of political maneuvering is nothing but a futile attempt.
The insistence by these countries on discussing the Taiwan-related proposal is not about protecting the health and welfare of the people in Taiwan, but only aimed at pursuing selfish political interests by politicizing the health issue, hijacking the WHA and undermining the joint international response to COVID-19.
Taiwan's participation in the assembly must be dealt with in accordance with the one-China principle.
China's central government has made proper arrangements for Taiwan's participation in global health affairs to ensure its prompt and effective responses to local and global public health emergencies.
In January, the Chinese central government hosted Taiwan epidemic prevention and control experts traveling to the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province to observe epidemic containment efforts. As of May 15, the Chinese central government had sent 152 notifications on COVID-19 to the Taiwan region. Since 2019, following the one-China principle, 16 groups of 24 medical and health experts from Taiwan have taken part in the World Health Organization's technical activities.
The region is by no means a so-called "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts, as Taiwan has unimpeded access to epidemic information.
The 73rd session of the WHA, scheduled from May 18 to 19, will only cover essential items including COVID-19 response and an executive board election. This shows that the goal of the member states is to focus on international cooperation to battle COVID-19.
The WHA has for many years rejected some countries' Taiwan-related proposals, demonstrating the shared international commitment to the one-China principle, an overriding trend that cannot be challenged.
Since COVID-19 broke out, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities have been hyping up the so-called "Taiwan's participation in the WHA," exposing their intention to use the epidemic to seek "Taiwan independence." Such an attempt will never succeed. ■
