New Zealand will ‘stand up for itself’ despite China’s warnings over support for Taiwan joining WHO

Taiwan is excluded from the WHO due to the objections of China, which views the island as one of its provinces

Senior ministers in New Zealand last week said Taiwan should be allowed to join the WHO as an observer given its success in containing coronavirus

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New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:31pm, 12 May 2020Updated: 12:31pm, 12 May 2020

New Zealand’s foreign minister on Tuesday said the country has to stand up for itself after China warned its backing of Taiwan’s participation at the World Health Organisation (WHO) could damage bilateral ties.

Taiwan, with the strong support of the United States, has stepped up its lobbying to be allowed to take part as an observer at next week’s World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s decision-making body – a move which has angered China.

Taiwan is excluded from the WHO due to the objections of China, which views the island as one of its provinces.

Senior ministers in New Zealand last week said Taiwan should be allowed to join the WHO as an observer given its success in limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus, drawing China’s ire which asked the Pacific country to “stop making wrong statements”.

“We have got to stand up for ourselves,” Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said at a news conference when asked about China’s response to New Zealand’s position on Taiwan.

“And true friendship is based on equality. It’s based on the ability in this friendship to nevertheless disagree.”

Peters said he did not think the issue would harm diplomatic ties with China, which is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner.