Taiwan is not eligible to participate in WHA: spokesperson

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Taiwan region, unless given approval by the central government, has no basis, reason, or right to participate in the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA), which will open on May 18, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday. Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on media reports that Taiwan has not yet been invited to attend the 79th WHA. "There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," Guo said. He noted that China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the World Health Organization, is consistent and clear. "That is, this must be handled in line with the one-China principle, which is also a fundamental principle as demonstrated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1," he said. Guo said that due to the stubborn adherence to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence" by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists. To uphold the one-China principle as well as the sanctity and authority of relevant UNGA and WHA resolutions, China has decided not to approve the Taiwan region's participation in this year's WHA, Guo said. "Any attempt to violate the one-China principle and engage in political manipulation by playing the 'Taiwan card' is doomed to failure," Guo said.