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WHO Members Reject Proposal to Invite Taiwan to Participate in Annual Assembly
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang said Taiwan’s exclusion leaves a gap in disease prevention and global health cooperation, with 23.5 million people left out.
On Monday, the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva excluded Taiwan for the 10th consecutive year after Dominican Republic Health Minister Victor Elias Atallah Lajam decided against including the proposal to invite Taiwan as an observer.
China's permanent representative to the U.N. office in Geneva, Jia Guide, blocked participation by citing the 'one China principle' and U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758, asserting the People's Republic of China fully represents Taiwan.
Arguing for inclusion, Palau Vice President and Health Minister Raynold Oilouch contended that barring 23.5 million people undermines health security, while Health Minister Shih Chung-liang warned that excluding Taiwan creates a 'dangerous gap' in disease prevention.
Allies faced Chinese and Pakistani opposition during the 'two-on-two debate,' and Shih reported that the delegation encountered monitoring and pressure from China during events, including lower attendance at the civic-organized 'Taiwan Night.'
To share expertise, Taiwan organized four professional forums on healthcare resilience and smart healthcare, while Shih noted that growing Taiwan-U.S. interactions offer a foundation for expanding ties and bypassing formal barriers.