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TAIPEI: Taiwan on Saturday accused China of preventing Taipei from being an active member of the international community after Beijing resumed its seat at the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
"We strongly condemn China's abominable means to suppress our participation in international organisations," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry lamented that Taiwan had been "dwarfed into a non-sovereign regional member" of the body, which sets down health standards for trade in meat and farm animals.
"We regret that the OIE succumbed to China's political manipulation and lost its professional stance," it said.
China resumed its seat at the OIE on Friday when the organisation's 169 members, meeting in Paris for the agency's general assembly, approved the restoration of its "rights and obligations" as a member.
Taiwan will remain a member of the OIE but under the appellation of "Chinese Taipei" – the same name used in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, of which China is also a member.
Names and titles are highly symbolic issues in the row between Taiwan and China, which split at the end of a civil war in 1949.
Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
Taiwan was admitted to the OIE in 1954 as the "Republic of China (Taiwan)".
China became a member of the organisation in 1992 but had refused to take a full part in its work because of the presence of Taiwan.
From 1992 until Friday's vote, Taiwan was officially known as "Taipei China".
Beijing had lobbied for it to be called "Taiwan, China", a name rejected by Taipei.
The OIE has become highly visible in recent years, having to deal with food safety crises such as that posed by bird flu, which has badly affected Asia, and mad cow disease.
- AFP/so
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