The Republic of China, as Taiwan is legally named, was a founding member of WMO but left the organisation after the UN expelled Taipei to accept Beijing as the legitimate representative of China in 1971.

In 1993, Taiwan launched an international campaign to return to the UN, but the bid has failed each year due to opposition from China, which is one of the five permanent members of the UN General Assembly and regards Taiwan as China's breakaway province.

So far, Taiwan has succeeded only in joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2002 and won observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.

With cross-strait ties improving since Ma took office in May 2008, China agreed to consider Taiwan's desire to join international organisations, but it must be under the 'one-China' principle which means there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China.