BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhuanet) -- There is no excuse for Taiwan to join any international organization, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Thursday at a regular press conference.

　　It is self-evident that Taiwan, as a province of China, is ineligible to participate in the World Health Organization (WHO), an organization open only to sovereign states, nor is it eligible to attend the World Health Assembly as an observer, Zhang said, noting that China resolutely opposes any form of Taiwanese participation in the international organization.

　　Cooperation and communication across the Taiwan Straits have been smooth since the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Taiwan, and the Chinese central government attaches great importance to and is concerned about the health andsafety of Taiwanese compatriots, Zhang said.

　　Some health organizations from the mainland and Taiwan Province held a joint seminar on SARS in late April. The two sides also discussed the SARS epidemic via tele-conference on May 9. In addition, experts from Taiwan have inspected Guangdong and Beijing to learn about the situation on the mainland.

　　The mainland and Taiwan enjoy sound and smooth cooperation in fighting SARS, she said. Enditem