Date: May 6, 2019
MAC Press Release No. 49
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (May 6, 2019) sternly protested and condemned Beijing for its continued obstruction of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA). Such exclusion not only contravenes the Constitution of the World Health Organization, but also disregards the health rights and interests of Taiwan's 23 million people. The MAC also strongly criticized claims by the Mainland China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taiwan Affairs Office as fallacies and massive lies to the world, in which the Mainland attested to have "paid close attention to the health of the people of Taiwan and made due arrangements for Taiwan to participate in global health affairs". With their unilaterally established "one China principle" and wrongful reference to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1, the Chinese authorities have deprived the Taiwanese people of their health rights and seriously endangered global health and safety.
The Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign state and it has the right and obligation to participate in international organizations and activities. We do not require Beijing's consent. The ROC government is solely responsible for the health and safety of the 23 million people of Taiwan. Taiwan's strengths and professional contribution in medical and health care industries have gained worldwide recognition. Beijing's constant obstruction of Taiwan's international participation and Taiwan's inability to participate in the WHA create loopholes in international disease prevention systems, in turns harm the global community, including the people of mainland China. The Chinese authorities should not subject global human health rights to their unjustifiable political manipulation. Beijing’s irrational utterance fully exposed the fact of its pressure against Taiwan, and allowed the people of Taiwan to see the true colors of its malicious nature. We will never yield to such pressure.