This year's World Health Assembly will meet in Geneva, Switzerland from May 21st- 26th. The Chinese delegation held a news conference on Sunday introducing the main agenda for this 71th session of the body. They also discussed China's active engagement in global health governance. Xue Jingmeng has more.

Ahead of Monday's kickoff to the 71th World Health Assembly, China's National Health Commission chief Ma Xiaowei spoke at a press conference. He said China was developing extensive cooperation with international organizations and actively involved in improving global health.

During the assembly, he said the Chinese delegation will also co-host Sri Lanka and Myanmar on a side event entitled "eradicating malaria."

Ma Xiawei also addressed the Taiwan region's assembly participation and said from 2009 to 2016, the region participated in eight World Health Assembly meetings as an observer. This is a special arrangement based on cross-strait coordination on the basis of the "1992 consensus" in which both sides of the strait adhere to the "one China" principle.

MA XIAOWEI HEAD OF CHINESE DELEGATION TO 71ST WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY "The 'one China' principle is a general consensus of the International community. The UN Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 have identified the 'one China' principle, which offers the legal basis for the WHA to address Taiwan related issue. As the DPP authorities failed to recognize the '1992 consensus', the political foundation for the Taiwan region to attend the WHA has been destroyed. That is why they did not receive invitations and the DPP authorities shall assume the full responsibility."

Ma added that there are no obstacles in the exchange of international public health and public health events in the Taiwan region. The Chinese mainland encourages Taiwan to participate in any technical form with the WHO.

Ma also addressed the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo saying that China is monitoring the crisis and is ready to assist with the outbreak and share its past experience with the global community.

MA XIAOWEI HEAD OF CHINESE DELEGATION TO 71ST WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY "China is following the latest developments of the outbreak of Ebola. And we are also very closely watching the academic exchanges in the world against Ebola outbreak. We are ready to share our experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, so the Chinese delegation will take part in the side event surrounding the DRC Ebola outbreak."

In 2014, 1,200 health care professionals and public health experts from China were sent to Africa to assist with the Ebola outbreak. Ma said as the biggest developing country in the world, China has proven experience on multiple fronts of health governance. Since 1963, China has sent medical teams to 69 developing countries, dispatching 250,000 health care professionals and treated 280 million patients. He said while working with research institutes in Africa, China launched joint projects to adapt for use in Africa its practices in the prevention and control of malaria and schistosomiasis. Ma also pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine is now practiced in183 countries and regions and has become an important element in the cooperation between China and the regional and health organizations in ASEAN, Europe and Africa.

Xue Jingmeng, CGTN.