BEIJING,???? ??? May 15 (Xinhua) -- China's decision of not approving the Taiwan region's participation in the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) has wide support and understanding from the international community, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Thursday.
Spokesperson Lin Jian 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 78th WHA which will open on May 19. Lin said that China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, 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," Lin said.
China's Taiwan region, unless given approval by the Central Government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the WHA, he said, adding that due to Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' persistent separatist stance, 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, Lin said.
He said for quite some time, the DPP authorities and certain countries have been blatantly turning back the wheel of history by deliberately distorting and challenging UNGA Resolution 2758 to challenge the one-China principle.
"They are essentially trying to challenge not only China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also international justice and prevailing consensus as well as the post-war international order," he added.
He said China's decision of not approving the Taiwan region's participation in this year's WHA has wide support and understanding from the international community, adding it shows that commitment to the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends, and what the greater national interests entail.
"The international community's commitment to the one-China principle is not to be challenged or shaken. No matter what the DPP authorities say or do, it does not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China, nor can it stop the trend towards China's ultimate and inevitable reunification," he said, adding that "Taiwan independence" leads nowhere and provocations for this agenda are doomed to failure.