TAIPEI: Despite strong efforts Taiwan did not get invited to this week's meeting of a key World Health Organization (WHO) body due to Chinese pressure, its foreign minister said on Monday (May 18), adding they had agreed to put the issue off until later this year.

Non-WHO member Taiwan had been lobbying to take part in the WHO's decision-making body the World Health Assembly, which opens later on Monday, saying that to lock it out was to create a gap in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.