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'Taiwan is not a province of China' presidential office tells Beijing

In response to Beijing's letter barring "Taiwan Province's" entry into WHA, presidential office says Taiwan not beholden to Beijing's authority

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Protesters calls for Taiwan's inclusion in WHA meeting in Geneva.

Protesters calls for Taiwan's inclusion in WHA meeting in Geneva. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- In response to the release of a letter sent by China barring the admittance of "Taiwan Province of China" to this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) summit in Geneva, the Presidential Office yesterday said Taiwan is a sovereign nation and is not a beholden to Beijing's authority.

Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said to reporters yesterday, "the Republic of China is a sovereign state and Taiwan is not the next province of the People's Republic of China." He added that Taiwan cannot agree with or accept China's resorting to various political excuses to exclude 23 million people from the international health system.

Huang said that health and disease control is the right of all people and should have no borders. The World Health Organization (WHO) belongs to the to world, its concerns and services are meant for all peoples, not just for specific political stances.

Huang added that as a member of the international community, Taiwanese are entitled to the same health rights and interests as the rest of the peoples of the world. There is no justification for not being treating equally and included, this truth is self-evident.

Taiwan is not only firmly committed to participating in and contributing to the international community, the government is also working actively working to deepen cooperation with relevant departments in various countries to ensure the health rights of people, Huang said.

For the first time in eight years, Taiwan has been excluded from attending this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) due to pressure from China on its governing body the World Health Organization (WHO) including a letter stating "Taiwan Province" should not attend the annual event.

The first paragraph of the letter compliments permanent member nations and then announces Taiwan's exclusion:

"The Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland presents its complements to all Permanent Missions in Geneva and has the honor to inform the latter that the Chinese Government has decided that Taiwan Province of China shall not participate in the 70th World Health Assembly to be held from 22 to 31 May 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland."

When President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office in May of last year, she refused to directly reaffirm the "1992 Consensus," ​an oral agreement between Taiwan and China that states there is only "one China" but each side is free to interpret what "one China" means. Beijing has since taken measures to exclude Taiwan from the meetings of all major international organizations and strip it of its remaining diplomatic allies as punishment. Taiwan's exclusion this year from the WHA is yet another example of this punitive policy.