The rejection by the 79th World Health Assembly, or WHA, of a proposal concerning Taiwan for the 10th consecutive year demonstrated that adherence to the one-China principle is a universal consensus within the international community, a Chinese mainland spokesman said on Monday.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that the decision of the WHA, at its meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" once again highlights the international community's firm commitment to the one-China principle.

Chen said that the authorities of the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, in Taiwan will ultimately fail, as they stubbornly stick to a "Taiwan independence" separatist stance and refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle. He accused the authorities of attempting to use what he described as "underhanded" means to seek a so-called "breakthrough" in the Taiwan region's participation in the WHA.

He also criticized the DPP authorities for colluding with external forces to stir up issues surrounding Taiwan's participation in the WHA, deliberately distorting and challenging the fundamental principles established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

"This is not only an act of political manipulation aimed at seeking 'independence' under the guise of healthcare and challenging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Chen said. He added that it also challenges the post-World War II international order, international justice and the prevailing global consensus.

He warned the DPP authorities that no matter what tactics they employ, they will deceive no one, achieve nothing and are doomed to fail. "Nor can they hold back the historical trend toward China's ultimate and inevitable reunification," he added.

According to Chen, the Chinese mainland has made appropriate arrangements for Taiwan's involvement in global health affairs on the basis of the one-China principle, despite Taiwan not participating in the WHA.

Over the past year, the central government has approved applications from 18 medical and health experts in the Taiwan region to participate in technical activities of the World Health Organization, or WHO. Under the framework of the International Health Regulations, the Taiwan region can both access WHO notifications on public health emergencies in a timely manner and report relevant information to the organization promptly.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait also maintain a smooth mechanism for sharing information on infectious disease outbreaks and have held exchanges such as the hospital presidents' forum, Chen said.

"This fully demonstrates that we take seriously the health and medical concerns of Taiwan compatriots," he added.

Taiwan attended the WHA as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei" from 2009 to 2016, based on adherence to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus.