World Health Organization countries don't invite Taiwan to annual assembly

GENEVA, May 19 (Reuters) - Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday rejected a proposal to invite Taiwan to its annual assembly in Geneva after China voiced opposition.

Belize and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines spoke on behalf of a group of countries who brought a proposal to include Taiwan as an observer to this year's meeting - with Saint Vincent describing Taiwan's exclusion as 'unfair and self-defeating'. But China and Pakistan opposed the motion and the assembly accepted its exclusion.

"The proposal openly challenges the authority of the U.N. and the post-war international order," said China's Ambassador Chen Xu, repeating opposition voiced by the Chinese foreign ministry last week.