Beijing intends to provide Taiwan with the latest developments regarding the situation over the coronavirus even after entry to the island from the mainland was banned, the Chinese authorities said on Thursday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) Beijing intends to provide Taiwan with the latest developments regarding the situation over the coronavirus even after entry to the island from the mainland was banned, the Chinese authorities said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Taiwan's Central news Agency reported, citing local authorities, that the island would temporarily ban entry for mainland China residents beginning on Friday due to the coronavirus outbreak. Taiwan has already banned entry for foreigners without a special permit or those who visited mainland China after January 24.
"Beijing still cares about the health, happiness and well-being of its Taiwan compatriots. We are planning to provide free information channels to help Taiwan receive information about the public health situation," the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.
According to the statement, the mainland will do all that is necessary to allow Taiwan to take part in international efforts in health care but per the one-China principle. It noted that there were no barriers to technical cooperation between Taiwan and the World Health Organization.
The office added that following the virus outbreak, Beijing informed Taiwan of the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus in due time and arranged a Taiwanese expert's trip to Wuhan.
"We will continue to take the necessary measures to ensure that Taiwan, as China's part, receives relevant information on the prevention and control of the spread of the virus. But we will never allow the so-called Taiwan independence supporters to take advantage of the situation ... Attempts to achieve independence through an epidemic will never succeed," the statement read.
The current death toll from the deadly coronavirus has already exceeded 560 people, and over 28,000 others have been infected all over the world since it was first detected in December.
