During the meeting, which opened today, China — supported by Pakistan — spoke out against the proposal, and other countries agreed to exclude Taiwan.

“China does not agree with the participation of China’s region, Taiwan, in any form,” a Chinese spokesperson said.Palau, one of the countries that had supported inviting Taiwan to the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, said the exclusion was unjustified and warned that it could weaken global disease surveillance and information sharing.

Taiwan has been excluded from most international organizations due to objections from Beijing, which considers the island its own territory. However, it participated as an observer in the World Health Assembly from 2009 to 2016, during the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism agreements with China. China began blocking Taiwan’s participation the following year, after then-President Tsai Ing-wen refused to accept Beijing’s position that Taiwan and China are both part of “one China.”