Ministry: Taiwan gets WHO invitation

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-30 08:13

The World Health Organization (WHO) has invited Taiwan to attend the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

"Such an arrangement shows our willingness to achieve practical benefits for the people of Taiwan and indicates our sincerity to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations," ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an said.

The WHA runs May 18-27.

Mao said the mainland and Taiwan held recent talks about Taiwan's participation in the WHA, but he did not provide any details.

Mao said the mainland has always been concerned about the well-being of the people of Taiwan and about their desire to take part in WHO activities.

He added that the mainland supported the participation of Taiwan's medical experts in international health technology exchanges and the acquisition of information from the WHO.

He said the proper settlement of Taiwan's participation in the WHA would promote cross-Straits health exchanges and cooperation and increase mutual understanding for the peaceful development of the relationship between the two sides.

The WHA is the supreme decision-making body for the WHO. It is held each year in May in Geneva, attended by delegates from all 193 members.

Sun Yat-sen anniversary

The mainland would assist Taiwan's Kuomintang if it is to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's funeral at his mausoleum in Nanjing, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said yesterday.

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the office, said: "Dr Sun Yat-sen is a great vanguard of the democratic revolution and a great patriot."

Sun founded the Kuomintang in 1919. He died in 1925 at the age of 59. He was dubbed "father" of the nation and held the first presidency of the Republic of China earlier last century.

On June 1, 1929, his coffin was transferred to a mausoleum that was built for him and named after him in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.

Xinhua