Taiwan’s foreign ministry has strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organisation that it condoned racist personal attacks on him that he alleged were coming from the self-governing island democracy.

The ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction and a high degree of regret” at WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ remarks at a press briefing Wednesday. It requested he “immediately correct his unfounded allegations, immediately clarify, and apologise to our country.”

Taiwan’s 23 million people have themselves been “severely discriminated against” by the politics of the international health system and “condemn all forms of discrimination and injustice,” the statement said.

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