BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's attempt to join the World Health Organization (WHO) is political manipulation under the pretext of combating the COVID-19 pandemic and will not succeed, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday.

She said Taiwan's claim that the WHO should escape from China's control and allow Taiwan to fully participate in the fight against the epidemic was intended to confuse the public opinion.

It is known to all that in October 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, specifying that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government that represents China. The resolution had resolved the issue of China's representation in the United Nations on political, legal and procedural grounds, fully reflecting the one-China principle that the UN has been upholding, Hua said.

The one-China principle and the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory have been universally recognized in the international community. The United Nations has reiterated many times that it insists on handling the Taiwan issue in accordance with Resolution 2758, Hua said, adding that as a specialized agency of the UN, the WHO should abide by the resolutions of the UN General Assembly.

She said Resolution 25.1 of the World Health Assembly (WHA) reiterated Resolution 2758, which confirmed China's representation in the WHO.

Taiwan's claims exposed the intentions of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to use the current epidemic to seek "Taiwan independence", she said.

"Its attempt to join the WHO and participate in the WHA was political manipulation instead of seeking the health and welfare of the people in Taiwan, and it will never succeed," Hua said.