OPINION / EDITORIAL
With 'fancy provocation' over the one-China principle, the US and DPP bring their own humiliation: Global Times editorial
Published: May 24, 2022 03:58 AM
WHO File photo:AFP
WHO File photo:AFP

The World Health Assembly (WHA) has officially made a decision to explicitly reject the proposal raised by a few countries to invite the island of Taiwan to the WHA as an observer. It is the sixth consecutive year that Taiwan couldn't get the invitation to attend the WHA because the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) refuses to recognize the "1992 Consensus."

Before the opening of the WHA, nearly 90 countries sent letters to WHO to express their adherence to the one-China principle and opposition to Taiwan's participation in the assembly. This fully shows that the one-China principle is the common consensus of the international community, which is a general trend and cannot be challenged.

What is ridiculous is that the irritated Taiwan's regional diplomatic authorities expressed their "contempt" toward the mainland. But doesn't the DPP authorities know that actually they are the clown spurned by people?

The DPP authorities got "a slap in the face" every year at the WHA, although it is definitely clear that they are not obsessed with being abused. Without the instigation and support from the US to use the Taiwan island to contain China, and without the DPP's ill-intention to "seek independence using the epidemic" and "rely on the US to seek independence", it will not shamelessly humiliate itself in front of the world.

However, the US representative at the WHA only mentioned that "the US deeply regrets Taiwan being excluded from the WHA", which is in ironic contrast to Washington's high profile before the meeting.

First of all, this is a disgraceful thing, but more importantly, the US should be clear that there is no justification to plan this scheme with the DPP authorities.

The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 provide the legal basis for the WHO to follow the one-China principle. The participation of the island of Taiwan in the WHA must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle and through cross-Straits consultations.

The Chinese side has pointed out that recent US deeds and words on the Taiwan question are quite different. In the three China-US joint communiqués, the US made solemn commitments on the Taiwan question and the one-China principle.

US President Joe Biden has also made a clear commitment that the US does not seek a new Cold War with China or aim to change China's system, and the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China. The US does not support "Taiwan independence" and it has no intention to seek conflict with China.

But what people have seen is a two-faced United States. It has greatly relaxed the restrictions on official exchanges between the US and the island of Taiwan, continuously upgraded the scale and performance of arms sales to Taiwan, and even jumped to the front to help the island "consolidate diplomatic allies." Washington's promotion of the so-called "Taiwan's participation in the WHA" is the latest "fancy provocation."

"Taiwan being excluded from the WHA" is in fact a pseudo-proposition created by the DPP authorities who were manipulated by the US as a puppet. It is a Trojan horse under the disguise of "human rights" and "public health" but actually intends to impact the one-China principle.

No matter how much they want to "seek independence using the pandemic," they cannot hide the basic fact that, under the premise of the one-China principle, the Chinese central government has made proper arrangements for the island's participation in global health affairs.

There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region to allow prompt access and report information related to health emergencies. In other words, the channels for Taiwan to obtain various information and support for epidemic prevention and control are completely smooth and effective. The DPP's so-called "gap in the international epidemic prevention system" is a complete fabrication.

Both the US and Taiwan island are well aware that if the DPP authorities want to attend the WHA, they only need to recognize the "1992 Consensus." When Lee Teng-hui came to power in 1997, he engaged 20 countries with "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan to raise the proposal, but each time, they were rejected with an overwhelming vote.

However, from 2009 to 2016, the island of Taiwan participated in the WHA as an observer without spending a penny from the people or kowtowing to the US. The facts are in front of us: It is not the so-called "suppression" by the Chinese mainland that blocks Taiwan's participation in the WHA as an observer, but the political manipulation of the DPP's refusal to recognize the "1992 Consensus."

The US-Taiwan collusion ended in failure again but it cannot be ruled out that similar "fancy provocations" will be staged. But such a move is indecent and dangerous. The US broke commitment and has inconsistent words and deeds on the Taiwan question, which is really detrimental to the dignity of a "big country." Taking the adventurist line and constantly supporting "Taiwan secessionist" forces will inevitably result in the US drawing fire against itself and the DPP's self-annihilation.