China expressed strong dissatisfaction over the US Congress' decision to pass
a motion supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health
Organization(WHO), said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao in Beijing
on Tuesday.
Liu told a regular press conference that the US Congress insisted on passing
the motion despite China's opposition. China has lodged solemn representation to
the US side over this issue.
Liu said the WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations and only sovereign states
are eligible to apply for membership. According to the WHO's rules and
regulations, Taiwan, as a part of China, is not eligible to participate in
the WHO or attend the WHO conference as an observer, Liu said.
He said the Chinese central government has been always concerned over the
well-being and the right of health of the Taiwan people, and has promoted
exchanges on health across the straits to help Taiwan acquire the relevant
information.
Liu noted that with the permission of the Chinese central government, experts from the
WHO have been to Taiwan several times to learn about severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS), and other epidemics there, and the Taiwan experts
have also participated in the WHO special meetings on SARS and cancer.
Facts show that Taiwan has a smooth channel to get health information, he
said, adding that the Chinese central government had expressed welcome for
Taiwan health experts to join the Chinese delegation to present at the WHO
conference.
He said if Taiwan needs the WHO's technical assistance, so longas it informs
the Chinese central government, China will give active consideration to their
needs.
Liu said the real purpose of the Taiwan authorities does not lie in the health
issue, but to create "two Chinas" and "one China, one Taiwan" in the
international community to achieve its attempt at "Taiwan Independence", which
can not succeed, Liu said.
China urges the US side to honor its promise of abiding
by the one-China policy and the three Sino-US joint communiques, opposing"Taiwan
independence", and prudently and properly handling the WHO's Taiwan-related
issues, lest they damage the Sino-US relations, he said.
