Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference on Tuesday that the US Congress insisted on passing the motion despite China's opposition. China has lodged solemn representation to the US side over this issue. 

Liu said that the WHO is a specialized UN agency to which statehood is required. In accordance with the Constitution of the WHO and Rules of Procedures of the World Health Assembly (WHA), Taiwan, as a part of China, has no right to join the WHO nor to take part in the WHA as an observer.

The Chinese Government has all along attached importance to the health of the Taiwan compatriots and worked to promote exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits in the health field to help Taiwan gain health information. With the consent of the Chinese Central Government, WHO experts have been to Taiwan many times to inspect SARS epidemics and Taiwan experts have taken part in the WHO specialized meetings on SARS, cancer and others. Facts show that Taiwan has unimpeded channels in gaining health information.

The Central Government has expressed many times that it welcomes Taiwan medical experts to the WHA as a part of the Chinese delegation. If the Taiwan side needs technical assistance from the WHO, we will consider it positively so long as it proposes with the Central Government.

The true purpose of the Taiwan authorities to squeeze into the WHO, instead of being health issue, is to create "two Chinas", "one China and one Taiwan" internationally to achieve its evil attempt of "Taiwan's independence". The attempt is doomed to failure.

The Chinese Government urges the US side to honor its commitments of abiding by the one China policy, three Sino-US Joint Communiqués and opposing Taiwan's independence, and handle the Taiwan-related question in the WHO prudently and properly so as not to damage Sino-US relations.