Sri Lanka, May 19 -- Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The coronavirus pandemic was supposed to be the only issue on the agenda for the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual conference, but geopolitical tensions over the status of Taiwan are taking the spotlight as the two-day talks started on Monday.

Ahead of the World Health Assembly of 194 WHO member states, which will take place online this year, the United States campaigned to allow Taiwan to take part as an observer again after a three-year absence. Washington's rival China has been blocking Taiwan's participation since 2017, as Beijing considers the island democracy to be part of its territory. The US and Taiwan have drummed up...