rthk,hk
Date: 2020-05-18

More than a dozen countries have told the World Health Organisation they want Taiwan's participation on the agenda of an assembly this week. File photo: Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) is to raise the question of Taiwan's participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), which opens virtually on Monday, before one of its committees.

Taiwan is currently excluded from the WHO but in the midst of escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing around the novel coronavirus, the administration of President Trump has repeatedly called for the island's participation at the WHA in spite of opposition from China.

Many heads of state, government and ministers are expected to attend the two-day virtual meeting on the pandemic which the WHO hopes will take a physical form later in the year.

Nearly 15 countries, including Belize, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands and Honduras, have written to the director general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asking that the question of Taiwan's participation be added to the agenda.    [FULL  STORY]