May 21, 2018
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (May 21, 2018) solemnly protested and expressed dissatisfaction over inaccurate and irresponsible statements by persons in charge at mainland China's National Health Commission on obstructing Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA). Mainland China has repeatedly used its unilateral "one China principle" to prevent Taiwan from participating in the WHA, disregarding public health in Taiwan and global health safety and seriously harming the rights and interests of the Taiwanese people. The MAC stressed that the government of the Republic of China has never accepted the past negotiations and secret agreements between the Mainland and the WHO that belittle Taiwan. If mainland China has made proper arrangements for Taiwan to participate in global health affairs, as it claims, then why does it obstruct Taiwan's participation in the WHA? This flagrantly misleads the public and deceives the international community.
The MAC indicated that the people of Taiwan should enjoy health rights and interests without discrimination. The Taiwanese government alone is responsible for the health and safety of the 23 million people of Taiwan. A public opinion survey recently commissioned by the MAC showed that more than 80% of the public think that mainland China's political obstruction of Taiwan's participation in the WHA harms the health, rights, and interests of the Taiwanese people (83.3%). We believe that Beijing has, for political reasons, repeatedly obstructed Taiwan's participation in the WHA, an organization whose mission is to maintain human health. This seriously violates the “leave no one behind” resolutions of the World Health Organization Charter and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We warn the Beijing authorities to not repeatedly suppress the basic rights of the people of Taiwan to participate in the international community. We will also join with pro-Taiwan forces in the international community to actively seek broad-based support.