Written by by Hayley Wong at scmp.com
Blinken said Taiwan has “exceptional capabilities and approaches” to offer on public health and its “continued exclusion” from the forum undermines “inclusive global public health cooperation and security, which the world demands and urgently needs”.
The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that it “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” Blinken’s statement, which “seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques”.
The ministry blamed Tsai’s Democratic People’s Party (DPP) for “stubbornly sticking to the separatist position of ‘Taiwan independence’, which means that the political foundation for Taiwan region’s participation in the WHA no longer exists”.
“The US statement presents this matter in a misleading way, essentially to connive at and support ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities,” the ministry’s statement continued.
Beijing regards the island as part of its territory that must be brought under mainland control, by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo.