Reuters AlertNet Lite - China says Taiwan's door to WHO still shut

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

China says Taiwan's door to WHO still shut

09 Nov 2006 08:51:28 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The impending election of Hong Kong's former health chief to head the World Health Organisation (WHO) will not help Taiwan win membership of the U.N. agency, China, which claims the island as its own, said on Thursday.

Margaret Chan will become the first person from China to lead a major U.N. body if she is elected as director-general on Thursday by the World Health Assembly, the WHO's top decision-taking body. No other candidates remain.

Chan previously headed Hong Kong's health department for nine years.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Taiwan could not expect a more sympathetic hearing of its attempts to join the global health watchdog.

"Our stance is clear. The World Health Organisation is made up of sovereign states, so as a part of China, Taiwan has no right to join," spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news briefing in Beijing.

"This is not a decision to be made by the director-general alone," she said of Taiwan's repeated efforts to join.

Taiwan has been divided from mainland China since 1949, when Nationalist forces fled there. China says the self-ruled island is a breakaway province that must accept reunification.

In May, the WHO rejected for the 10th consecutive year Taiwan's bid for observer status at its annual assembly, agreeing with China that only sovereign states should be allowed to take part. Taiwan says its exclusion endangers efforts to stamp out dangerous diseases, including bird flu.

But spokeswoman Jiang also sought to douse claims that Chan may be too close to Beijing.

"We are confident that Margaret Chan will independently carry out her duties to serve all member states according to the WHO charter," Jiang said.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• China profile
· View map

• Taiwan profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• International Study Tour Visits ADRA's Straw-Bale Housing Project in China
ADRA - International

• ACT Appeal: Yunnan Earthquake Assistance, China
ACT - Switzerland

• ACT Alert: Earthquakes in Yunnan Province
ACT - Switzerland

• ACT Situation Report: China Floods
ACT - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

• China says Taiwan's door to WHO still shut

• Extreme weather costs China billions each year

• Chinese sign in their thousands to save wild boar

• Teeth bared in battle over world shark stocks

• SE Asia wants more focused approach against haze

MORE >>

Last updated:Thu Nov 9 08:53:24 2006