The Chinese government said Monday that the International Health Regulations (2005) apply to the entire territory of China, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

 

"The International Health Regulations (2005) apply to the entire territory of the People's Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan Province," it said in a statement submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) by China 's permanent mission to the UN Office in Geneva.

 

The 60th World Health Assembly excluded Monday in Geneva a proposal on making Taiwan a "member state" of the WHO from the conference's provisional agenda.

 

The International Health Regulations (2005), or IHR, will formally come into force on June 15.

 

It is the world's first legally binding agreement in the fight against public health emergencies of international concern.

 

In the statement, the Chinese government said that its health ministry will be responsible for the implementation of the regulations nation wide.

 

China is, among other moves, revising its Frontier Health and Quarantine Law to meet the needs of applying the IHR, the statement said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2007)