GENEVA (Reuters – Taiwan’s application to be a member of the World Health Organization’s annual assembly was rejected Monday. The decision came after a Chinese campaign to isolate Taiwan.

Djibouti’s Health Minister Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh was also the Assembly President. He stated in a statement, that an invitation from 13 WHO members requesting Taiwan’s membership as an observer wouldn’t be on its official agenda.

Beijing has objected to Taiwan being excluded from many global organizations. China says Taiwan must not be treated independently as the country it views as a province.

Taiwan claims that it has been excluded from WHO, despite being allowed to attend technical WHO meetings.

Abdilleh, the president of the Assembly, stated that this decision was based on a recommendation by the General Committee. The General Committee discussed the proposal in closed-door meetings Sunday.

“The political and legal foundation for Taiwan’s participation in WHA ceases to exist,” Chen Xu, China ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva told the assembly shortly before the decision. All parties will oppose this political manipulation.

The WHO funding reforms will be discussed at this year’s meeting, which is attended by nearly 100 delegates from China.

China has begun to block Taiwan’s WHA participation since 2017, marking the end a more warm period in relations between Beijing, Taipei.

Taiwan’s last week expression of dissatisfaction at the World Health Organization not inviting it to participate in the assembly was the result of diplomatic pressure from China.