WHO states decide not to invite Taiwan to annual assembly
Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday decided not to invite Taiwan to the organization's annual assembly in Geneva after China appealed for it to remain sidelined.
Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections by China, which considers the democratically governed island its territory.
Taiwan attended the WHO's World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer from 2009 to 2016 under the administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism agreements with China.
But Beijing began blocking Taiwan's participation in 2017, after President Tsai Ing-wen won office, for her refusal to agree to China's position that both China and Taiwan are part of "one China".
Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the U.N. in Geneva, said there was no political basis for Taiwan to participate in the WHA, and accused Taiwanese officials of deliberately politicizing the issue of health.
"The so-called gap in the global epidemic prevention system is pure nonsense," he said, referring to calls by Taiwan and its allies for it to be included to better prevent pandemics.
Ahead of the decision, Taiwanese Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan's said Taiwan's absence from the assembly was hindering pandemic prevention efforts.
"Taiwan's participation in the WHA and WHO is a matter of health, not politics," he said.
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Taiwan president thanks pilots who scrambled against China drills
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te thanked fighter pilots who had scrambled against China last week during its war games around the island, as he was briefed on the events at a frontline air base on Tuesday.
China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, started two days of drills last Thursday in what it called "punishment" for Lai's inauguration speech that week. Taiwan condemned the exercises.
China says Lai is a "separatist" and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future, and has repeatedly offered talks.
Visiting the east coast air base of Hualien, which is home to Taiwan's most advanced fighter jets, the F-16Vs, Lai had lunch with some of the pilots who scrambled during the drills.
"I would like to thank all brothers and sisters for sticking to their posts and protecting national security," he added. "In recent days in response to the Chinese military exercises, everyone did a good job."
Lai said he received a detailed briefing on the pilots response and the abilities of the Taiwan fighters.
"Everyone is on standby in 24-hour shifts to perform air patrol missions," he added. "With firm determination and excellent combat skills, you are making full use of air combat power and protecting our airspace."
Soldiers also demonstrated the loading and firing of howitzers for Lai.
Some hangars at the Hualien base are cut out of the side of a mountain to protect them from air attack.
Taiwan has been converting 141 of the Lockheed Martin Corp F-16A/B jets to the F-16V type, and has also ordered 66 of the craft with new avionics, weapons and radar systems to better face down the Chinese air force, including its J-20 stealth fighters.
The F-16Vs can also carry Raytheon Technologies Corp's advanced AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
Taiwan's government says that as the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island, it has no right to claim it or decide its future.
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US lawmaker tells Taiwan weapons are coming, China drills show deterrence need
A senior U.S. lawmaker visiting Taipei said on Monday that weapons Taiwan had ordered are finally on their way, and that China's "intimidating" war games last week underscored the need to boost the island's deterrence abilities.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Taiwan has for the last two years complained of delays to deliveries of U.S. weapons, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers supply Ukraine to support its defence against Russia.
Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who promised those weapons would be delivered when he visited Taiwan last year, said the Chinese military's "armada" last week had sent a very strong message to the United States.
"We are moving forward on those weapons systems. I'd like to see it faster, but they are forthcoming," McCaul told reporters after meeting Taiwan President Lai Ching-te as head of a bipartisan delegation of five other U.S. lawmakers.
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The other members of the delegation were Representatives Young Kim of California, Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Andy Barr of Kentucky, all Republicans; and Democrats Jimmy Panetta of California and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
Taiwan needs to have sufficient weapons to show Chinese President Xi Jinping that the risk outweighs the rewards of invading the island, he added.
"President Lai and I, as always, had a very sobering and yet very direct conversation about the threat that this island faces from its neighbour to the north, and it's a real one," McCaul said. "Without deterrence, Chairman Xi has bold and aggressive ambitions."
The focus for Taiwan should be on maritime weapons like Harpoon anti-ship missiles, to stymie an invasion, he added.
McCaul also offered reassurance that no matter who won the U.S. presidential election in November, U.S. support for Taiwan would remain.
Lai, meeting McCaul earlier in the presidential office, said he would "enhance national defence capabilities, and show the world the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend their homeland".
China's Foreign Ministry said McCaul and the other lawmakers had gone to Taiwan over Beijing's strong objections, and that it had lodged "stern representations".
Last year, Beijing placed sanctions on McCaul after his visit to Taiwan and meeting with then-President Tsai Ing-wen.
China has increased its pressure against Taiwan over the past four years, including staging almost daily military activities near the island.
On Monday morning in its daily update on China's movements in the previous 24 hours, Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected 21 Chinese military aircraft and 11 ships operating nearby.
Later Monday, China announced military exercises to the west of Nanji island, off China's Wenzhou city in Zhejiang province and to the north of Taiwan.
Taiwanese forces evacuated Nanji and the surrounding islands in 1955 under sustained Chinese attack.
Taiwan still controls Kinmen and Matsu islands further down the Chinese coast.
The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's Communists, who set up the People's Republic of China.
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