Taiwan will sit as an observer in WHO assembly which opens on 18 May. Taiwanese president makes the announcement, which is not denied by Beijing. Ties between the two sides appear to be warming.

Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Mainland China will accept Taiwan’s participation in this year's World Health Organisation (WHO) assembly set to open on 18 May in Geneva in what Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou describes as a “friendly gesture.”

Taiwanese Health Minister Yeh Ching-chuan showed Taiwanese TV stations a formal invitation to the May meeting from WHO Director General Margaret Chan (pictured).

Beijing did not immediately give explicit confirmation of Mr Ma's announcement. But in the Chinese capital, Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Li Weiyi implied it was true by saying that China is “optimistic” about Taiwan's participation this year's assembly.

For Beijing Taiwan is a rebel province and has systematically tried to prevent Taipei's participation in any international organisation because it symbolises national sovereignty.

The mainland has successfully blocked Taiwan’s participation in WHO since the island was expelled from the United Nations in 1971.

Since Ma was elected in March 2008 relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have improved considerably after years of acrimony.

Former President Chen Shuibian, who is staunchly pro-independence and was a thorn in Beijing’s side, tried unsuccessfully to gain a seat in the UN body, arguing the access to key medical information was crucial for his country.

Taiwan in fact used the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003 as a basis of its claim, saying that Beijing's refusal to let it participate undermined its ability to deal effectively with the deadly epidemic.

It is likely that Taiwan will be allowed to participate in the assembly as an observer under the name Chinese Taipei, the same title it uses in the Olympics.

• taiwan
• china
• world
• health
• organisation
• who
• seat
• observer
• status
• assembly
• 18
• may
• 1971
• united
• nations
• un