No UN agency can determine Taiwan's status: US secretary

Sebelius' remarks came amid recent controversy over Taiwan's designation in the World Health Organization (WHO).

It was revealed last week that a letter from WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, sent last September, asked its recipients to refer to Taiwan as “Taiwan, province of China” instead of “Chinese Taipei.”

During a news conference hosted by Sebelius on the sidelines of the 2011 World Health Assembly (WHA) — the WHO's governing body — a CNA reporter asked if Taiwan would continue to encounter designation issues as it has faced in the WHO.

In response, Sebelius said: “We have made it very clear to the WHO that the United States' position is that no organization of the U.N. has a right to unilaterally determine the position of Taiwan.”

“It needs to be a resolution that includes China and Taiwan in a discussion and we would very much welcome that road forward,” she added.

She also reaffirmed U.S. support for Taiwan's participation in WHO activities, saying, “The United States was certainly pleased to support the efforts to give Taiwan an observer status in 2009 and welcomes the engagement of Taiwan.”

Sebelius held bilateral talks with Taiwan's Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta a day earlier on the opening day of the 64th WHA, which will run until May 24.

Before the start of their closed-door meeting, journalists were allowed to take pictures of them getting together in an amicable atmosphere. It marked the first time since Taiwan became a WHA observer three years ago that health ministers from the two countries have been photographed together in public.

Also that day, Chiu handed a strongly worded letter of protest to WHO legal counsel Gian Luca Burci over the “province of China” reference.

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