Spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian speaks at a daily press briefing. (Photo: China's Foreign Ministry)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday slammed the island of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for colluding with some countries to seek attendance as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), saying it was politicizing a health problem to serve a secessionist agenda that will never succeed.

Taiwan's DPP authority seeks "joining the World Health Assembly" to serve its secessionist agenda. That will not succeed. By not recognizing the one-China principle, a lack of access to the WHA is the party's own fault, ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a routine press conference on Friday.

The DPP has been claiming that if Taiwan is unable to join the WHA, that would leave a gap in global virus prevention efforts, and countries like the US have been urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to extend a WHA invitation to Taiwan. 

The Trump administration has also circulated a draft proposal that would bring Taiwan to the table at the WHO, Fox News reported.

Since the DPP took office in 2016, it has stubbornly adhered to its secessionist position and has refused to recognize that both sides of the Taiwan straits belong to China. As a result, the political foundation for Taiwan's participation in the WHA does not exist. Taiwan's absence from the WHA is the fault of DPP authorities, who are well aware of this, Zhao said. 

Since 2019, 24 health experts from Taiwan have participated in WHO technical meetings. Taiwan is able to access information relating to COVID-19, and there is no such "gap in global virus prevention efforts," Zhao said. 

Some countries insist on discussing Taiwan-related proposals for the sole purpose of politicizing the health crisis, which risks undermining global virus prevention cooperation, to achieve their own political interests. That will definitely be opposed by the majority of members of the international community, Zhao said. 

Global Times