Yet another botched plot

In his recent article published across several local newspapers advocating for participation of China’s Taiwan region in the World Health Assembly (WHA), Mr. Wallace Minn-Gan Chow, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, failed to make a case.

His argument is riddled with factual inaccuracies and logical fallacies. His attempt only undermined the integrity of the broader public health dialogue – especially on the eve of the 78th WHA on May 19 which once again firmly rejected the so-called proposal to “invite Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer” – the ninth consecutive year such a proposal is turned down. This stands as the most fitting response to Mr. Chow’s article, reflects the clear stance of the international community and marks yet another failure by the “Taiwan independence” forces in their continued attempt to exploit the WHA as a platform for separatist theatrics.

By exposing Mr. Chow’s misrepresentation of key facts, I seek to uncover the fallacies underlying his argument.

His article alleges that Taiwan remains excluded from the international health system due to China’s obstruction.

Fact: Taiwan is a part of China. The position of the Chinese government on the Taiwan region’s participation in international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), is consistent and unequivocal: such matters must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. This principle is firmly upheld by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

Without the approval of the central government of China, the Taiwan region has no basis, justification or right to participate in the WHA. From 2009 to 2016, the Taiwan region attended the WHA as an observer under the name “Chinese Taipei.” This was a special arrangement achieved through cross-Strait consultations, grounded in the 1992 Consensus, which reflects the one-China principle.

However, since taking office in 2016, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has stubbornly pursued a separatist agenda under the banner of “Taiwan independence,” openly challenging the one-China principle. As a result, the political foundation that enabled the Taiwan region’s past participation in the WHA no longer exists.

China’s decision not to approve the Taiwan region’s participation in this year’s WHA has received broad support and understanding from the international community. In the lead-up to the Assembly, numerous countries sent letters to the WHO director-general, explicitly voicing their support for China’s position and reaffirming their commitment to the one-China principle.

During the Assembly itself, many friendly nations firmly rejected proposals concerning Taiwan, thereby upholding the authority of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reaffirming the one-China principle. A number of country representatives pointed out that the proposals involving Taiwan – advanced by the DPP authorities and a handful of other countries – were politically motivated and driven by self-interest. Such actions, they emphasized, undermine the solemn nature of the WHA and are firmly opposed by the majority of the international community.

The article claims that UNGA Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan, nor does it authorize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to represent Taiwan at the UN or its subsidiary bodies.

Fact: In 1971, the UNGA passed Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, which restored all the rights of the PRC at the UN and recognized the representatives of the government of the PRC as the sole legitimate representatives of China at the UN. In so doing, the Resolution settles the question of representation of the whole of China – including the Taiwan region – within the UN, an international organization composed of sovereign states and only accepts representatives sent by sovereign states. Since Taiwan is a part of China and not a sovereign state, the notion of “expelling the representatives of the Taiwan authorities” is factually and legally inaccurate, and therefore inappropriate.

The “Taiwan independence” forces deliberately distort and challenge UNGA Resolution 2758 by falsely asserting that the resolution neither mentions Taiwan nor addresses its representation in the UN. By doing this, they seek to undermine not only China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but also international justice, the prevailing global consensus and the established post-war international order.

The article claims that by excluding Taiwan, the WHO has severely jeopardized the health rights of the people of Taiwan and undermined global efforts in prevention, preparedness and response to health emergencies.

Fact: The Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan. On the premise of upholding the one-China principle, the central government has made appropriate arrangements for the Taiwan region’s participation in global health affairs. Medical and health experts from the Taiwan region are able to participate in WHO technical meetings. Over the past year, the Taiwan region submitted 11 applications to take part in WHO technical activities, involving 12 participants, all of which were approved by the central government. This clearly demonstrates that the Taiwan region has sufficient and unobstructed channels to engage in communication and cooperation with the WHO on technical matters. Therefore, the claims that “Taiwan is excluded from the global health system” and that “the health rights and interests of the Taiwanese people are seriously harmed” are entirely baseless.

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Counselor Ji Lingpeng is the spokesman of the Chinese embassy in the Philippines.