China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday spoke highly of World Health Organization (WHO) member states' adherence to the one-China principle, saying that this proved again "Taiwan independence" will lead nowhere.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks after the World Health Assembly (WHA) decided not to discuss a proposal made by Taiwan authorities and a few countries to invite Taiwan as an observer to the WHA.
Zhao noted the current administration of Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities and some individual countries have been busy making political manipulation and hyping up "Taiwan's participation in the WHA" on international occasions, which fully exposed their attempts to prioritize political considerations over international public health and safety.
Noting that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are as closely linked as flesh and blood, Zhao said the central government of China is taking necessary measures to ensure the welfare of Taiwan compatriots.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the mainland invited Taiwan experts to visit Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, and has provided timely information to the Taiwan region, he said.
On the premise of the one-China principle, China has also made arrangements for the Taiwan region to take part in global health cooperation, the spokesperson added.
"We urge Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party to recognize the reality that it is impossible to shake the one-China principle in the international community," said Zhao.
The spokesperson also urged some countries not to misjudge China's determination and ability to safeguard its core interests and national unity, and stop challenging the one-China principle.
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The DPP is the only party to blame for the region being unable to take part in the WHA, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said Tuesday.
From 2009 to 2016, Taiwan participated in the WHA under observer status as "Chinese Taipei," Ma noted and added this special arrangement was made through cross-Strait consultations and on the political foundation that both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the 1992 Consensus.
Since it took power in May 2016, the DPP administration has refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle and unilaterally undermined the political foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, he stressed.
Taiwan has unimpeded access to epidemic information, the spokesperson said, and pointed out the DPP intended to use the claim of a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts to seek "Taiwan independence."
He said as of May 18, China's mainland had updated Taiwan on the situation 155 times and since 2019, 24 Taiwan experts in 16 groups have participated in WHO technical activities.
'Political hype'
The Chinese envoy to the World Health Organization Tuesday urged the U.S. to stop its "political hype" over the issue of Taiwan's participation in WHO and WHA.
Ambassador Chen Xu, China's Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, made his remarks following comments by a senior U.S. diplomat at Tuesday's WHA virtual gathering.
The U.S. envoy again voiced support for Taiwan authorities' participation in the WHA during the meeting.
The U.S. and a few countries' conduct to plea for Taiwan authorities is not acceptable, Chen said and added it was undermining global anti-epidemic efforts.