The United States and the G7 countries have called for Chinese-claimed but democratically ruled Taiwan to attend the WHO’s decision-making body.

Communist China’s government yesterday criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for urging the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate in a meeting this month.

Secretary Blinken’s statement on Friday adds to a similar joint appeal by foreign ministers of the G7 major economies in London on May 24.

Mr. Blinken’s appeal “seriously violates the ‘one China principle’” and joint US-Chinese declarations, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman ms Hua Chunying said. “China firmly deplores and rejects it.”

The US has no official ties with Taiwan, but Washington and other governments have expressed growing support for Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to Beijing’s increasing assertiveness abroad.

Communist China continues its tyrannical act of putting politics above health and human rights.

Mr. Blinken called Taiwan a “force for good in the world” and said that it should be invited as an observer to the meeting of the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decisionmaking body.

Taiwan on Tuesday stated Beijing is “maliciously” blocking its access to the World Health Organization and putting politics above people’s well-being, after Beijing signalled it would not allow the island to attend a major WHO meeting.

Communist China’s foreign ministry said on Monday the island had to accept it was part of China if it wanted access to global bodies, something Taipei’s government will not do, and that “appropriate arrangements” have been made for Taiwan’s participation in global health matters.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ms Joanne Ou, said China was lying and seeking to mislead the international community.

China’s malicious obstruction is the main obstacle to the WHO’s failure to fully include Taiwan in technical discussions, she said.

It also shows China’s continued tyrannical act of putting politics above health and human rights.

Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its people in the WHO and other bodies, not China, she said.