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BEIJING: China rebuked New Zealand on Monday (May 11) for its support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), saying the country should “stop making wrong statements” on the issue to avoid damage bilateral relations.
Taiwan, with strong support from the United States, has stepped up its lobbying to be allowed to participate as an observer at next week’s World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO decision-making body, in the face of China’s anger.
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Taiwan is excluded from the WHO due to objections from China, which regards the island as one of its provinces. Taiwan says this has created a dangerous gap in the COVID-19 fight, and has accused the WHO of bowing to Chinese pressure.
New Zealand’s finance and foreign ministers last week endorsed a role for Taiwan in the WHO.
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At a daily press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said New Zealand’s comments were a severe violation of the “one China” principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China.
“We express our strong dissatisfaction with the statements and resolutely oppose it, and we have already made severe representations with New Zealand,” said Zhao.
The “one China” principle is the political foundation of the China-New Zealand relationship, he added.
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“China urges New Zealand to strictly abide by the ‘one-China principle’ and immediately stop making wrong statements about Taiwan, to avoid damaging our bilateral relationship.”
China denounced Taiwan’s attempts by the WHO as a political trick aimed at promoting the island’s formal independence, saying it will fail in its efforts.
In Taipei, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told parliament on Monday that in order to break China’s influence on the body, there had to be “an even stronger international lung power.”
“This year’s international atmosphere is relatively beneficial to Taiwan’s participation, so pressure is mounting on the WHO secretariat and China,” Wu said.
Taiwan attended WHA as an observer between 2009 and 2016, when relations between Taipei and Beijing were warmer.
China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, whom China considers to be separatist, a charge it rejects.
China says it has the right to represent Taiwan on the international stage, and he and the WHO say that Taipei received all the help and information it needs during the pandemic, something that Taiwan disputes.
Taiwan has reported only 440 cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths, thanks to early and effective disease prevention and control work.
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