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China lets Taiwan attend world health meeting
29 Apr 2009 04:41:11 GMT
 Source: Reuters
TAIPEI, April 29 (Reuters) - China has allowed Taiwan to attend the annual United Nations-sponsored World Health Assembly in May, the island's health minister said on Wednesday, a further sign of warming ties between the political foes.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing sees as its own, can be an observer at the World Health Organisation's (WHO) assembly under the name Chinese Taipei, Yeh Ching-chuan told reporters as he displayed an invitation letter from the WHO.

China must approve any World Health Assembly role for Taiwan before the island can be formally invited.

A spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office would only say that Beijing had a "positive" attitude toward the issue.

Beijing, backed by about 170 diplomatic allies including the world's most powerful nations compared to Taiwan's 23, normally blocks the island from joining international organisations that require statehood as a prerequisite.

Relations between Taiwan and China have improved since the island's President Ma Ying-jeou took office last May, with top negotiators on both sides holding meetings and signing a series of deals to boost trade ties.

Ma welcomed the decision to let Taiwan attend the health assembly, saying it was a question of basic human rights.

"Joining WHO activities isn't just a simple political matter," he said."It's more a matter of human rights and 23 million Taiwan people's health human rights shouldn't be ignored."

Taiwan officials say their exclusion from the World Health Organisation and its annual assemblies has made it tough to handle major health issues such as SARS in 2003.

Chinese officials said on Wednesday they would work with Taiwan in controlling any spread of swine flu, which has killed as many as 159 people in Mexico.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary. (Reporting by Ralph Jennings in Taipei; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing)


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Last updated:Wed Apr 29 04:42:46 2009