May 25, 2007, 16:19 GMT
Taipei - Taiwan on Friday protested to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for its downgrading of Taipei's status to please China.
'OIE is a professional organization which has nothing to do with politics. We are firmly opposed to China's political manipulation which forced OIE to downgrade our status to that of a non-sovereign regional member,' the Taiwan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
At the 75th general session of the Paris-based OIE, the organization restored China's membership but changed Taiwan's status from that of a country - or full member - to that of a regional member.
OIE Director General Bernard Vallat said that 'counting both Taiwan and China among our active members will further improve the animal disease situation in the world.'
China considers Taiwan to be its breakaway province. When the Republic of China (ROC) government lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communists in 1949, it moved to Taiwan to set up its government-in- exile. Only 25 countries formally recognize the island.
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