China welcomes WHO decision on Taiwan's absence from annual assembly

China welcomed the World Health Assembly's decision to remove a proposal to invite Taiwan to take part in its annual meeting from the agenda, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization's (WHO) most important annual meeting, got underway on Monday in Geneva.

Hua said the decision shows the one-China principle is people's aspiration and the irreversible trend. She also reiterated that the Chinese government is willing to solve the problems of the Taiwan region's participation in activities of international organizations on the basis of the one-China principle.

A motion had been put forward by some of the WHO's 194 member countries -- including Nicaragua, Paraguay and Belize -- to allow Taiwan to participate as an observer. The WHO’s annual assembly decided by consensus not to put the issue on the agenda.