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China challenges Taiwan's animal health body name

In yet another move aimed at blocking Taiwan's participation in international organizations, China is orchestrating a plot to downgrade Taiwan's membership in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to that of a regional member, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials said on Thursday.

China has put forth a draft resolution, intended for consideration during the OIE's 75th general session scheduled for May 20 to May 25 in Paris, to change Taiwan's membership name from "Taipei China" to "Taiwan, China," MOFA officials said.

According to the officials, Taiwan reluctantly accepted the name "Taipei China" in 1992 because without a comma in between, "Taipei" and "China" are parallel.

Unacceptable

But Taiwan will never accept the name "Taipei, China" or "Taiwan, China, " since it means Taiwan is subordinate to China, they explained.

In the draft resolution, China claims the proposed name-change is intended to restore its legitimate rights at the OIE, where it gained membership as a sovereign state, the officials said.

China claims that Taiwan has taken part in the OIE as a "regional member" and that it can only use the name "Taiwan, China" in OIE activities, documents and publications.

The OIE, founded in 1924 in Paris, is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 168 member nations with the objective of controlling and preventing animal diseases.

Forced change

Taiwan gained accession to the OIE in 1954 under the name of "Republic of China (Taiwan)," but it was forced to change its membership name to "Taipei China" after China was admitted in 1992.

However, China remains dissatisfied with the name. In an attempt to push the OIE to make further moves to change Taiwan's designation, China has refused to participate in OIE affairs or pay its membership fees.

To try to resolve the problem, the OIE's International Committee proposed in 2003 that Taiwan adopt the membership name of "the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" -- the name that Taiwan used to join the WTO in 2002. But neither Taiwan nor China accepted the proposal.

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