The 75th World Health Assembly opens this weekend, and Taiwan has been excluded once again. On Thursday, Taiwan''s foreign ministry condemned the World Health Organization for not inviting Taiwan to its annual summit. It blasted the WHO for failing to be neutral and professional, and for ignoring the urgency of Taiwan''s need to participate. It said the WHO was ignoring the global calls for Taiwan to be included.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill to help Taiwan regain observer status in the WHA. Some 1,500 parliamentarians from more than 30 European countries signed a joint letter to the WHO, to advocate for Taiwan''s participation. The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven also issued a communique supporting Taiwan''s inclusion. Taiwan lawmaker Chiu Tai-yuan, who also heads the Taiwan Medical Association, says that Taiwan''s exclusion is due largely in part to the WHO director-general, who is widely perceived as being pro-China.