The 192-nation World Health Assembly Monday accepted by consensus the recommendation of their General Committee that it refuse to take Taiwan's tenth bid for observer status at the United Nations health agency to a vote.

The assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). It normally meets in Geneva in May each year and is attended by delegations from all member states. Its main function is to determine policy matters.

The Chinese delegation explained that observer status was reserved for sovereign nations. As Taiwan was part of China it was not eligible for such status.

"The essence of this issue is not health but politics," said Minister of Health Gao Qiang. "The motive has remained the same. And that's to split China. A small number of countries are tabling the proposal with the pretext of caring for the health of the people in Taiwan," Gao said. "We oppose making use of health issues to seek Taiwan independence."

But Gao Qiang also said the Chinese government would continue its support for Taiwan compatriots to participate in the technical activities of the WHO.

"We support experts from Taiwan participating in the WHO's technical activities and help the region receive timely and accurate international information and technical assistance on health matters," Gao told the 59th World Health Assembly.

"We are determined to do, and do well, all the things which will benefit the health and well-being of the Taiwan compatriots," the minister said at the annual conference which was attended by all 192 WHO members.

Gao recalled that last May a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between China and the WHO to assist health experts from Taiwan participate in the WHO's technical activities.

In accordance with the MoU the WHO can invite health experts from Taiwan to participate in its technical activities and send staff and experts there to investigate and assist with health issues. For severe public health emergencies the WHO can send staff and experts to Taiwan for field visits and the provision of technical health assistance.

"The facts have proved that with the implementation of the MoU very favorable conditions have been created for effectively engaging Taiwan medical and health experts in the technical work of the WHO,” Gao said.

He noted that since the MoU had been signed 10 expert groups from Taiwan had participated in WHO technical activities covering a range of health subjects. "We will energetically and conscientiously implement the MoU and help health experts from Taiwan conduct more technical exchanges with the WHO," Gao said.

Taiwan applied for observer status at the WHO as a "health entity" claiming closer links with the UN agency would help it fight any disease outbreaks. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said last week that given the established framework for allowing Taiwanese health experts' participation in WHO technical activities there were no "missing links" caused by Taiwan's current level of participation.

For five consecutive years prior to 2002 Taiwan tried unsuccessfully to become a member of the WHO using the name "the Republic of China" and tried again as a "health entity."

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily May 23, 2006)