NPR: Pompeo Blasts WHO And China For Excluding Taiwan From This Week’s Health Assembly
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blasted the head of the World Health Organization for bowing to Chinese pressure and not inviting Taiwan to attend the body’s annual meeting, damaging its credibility at a crucial time. The World Health Assembly started on Monday amid the worst pandemic in modern history. Taiwan has won worldwide plaudits for its deft handling of the coronavirus, despite close links to China, where the disease first emerged. … But since it is not a United Nations member, Taiwan required an invitation to attend the assembly as an observer — which was not forthcoming, despite a strong push in recent weeks with backing from the United States, Japan, New Zealand, and others…” (Ruwitch, 5/18).

Reuters: Taiwan says it did not receive WHO meeting invite, issue off the table for now
“Despite strong efforts Taiwan did not get invited to this week’s meeting of a key World Health Organization (WHO) body due to Chinese pressure, its foreign minister said on Monday, adding they had agreed to put the issue off until later this year. … Taiwan has said it wanted to share with the world its successful experience at fighting the coronavirus, having only reported 440 cases and seven deaths thanks to early detection and prevention work. But China, which considers democratically ruled Taiwan its own with no right to attend international bodies as a sovereign state, strongly objected to Taiwan taking part in the assembly unless it accepted it was part of China. This, the Taipei government refused to do…” (Blanchard et al., 5/18).