Lawmakers from six countries have reported that Chinese diplomats have been pressuring them not to attend a China-focused conference in Taiwan, in an attempt to isolate the self-governed island. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) is hosting the conference, which is set to begin on Monday. The alliance consists of lawmakers from 35 countries who are concerned about how democracies approach Beijing. Chinese officials have been contacting lawmakers from Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and an unnamed Asian country to discourage them from attending the conference. This year, there seems to be a coordinated effort to prevent participants from traveling to Taiwan.
Chinese diplomats have been reaching out to lawmakers through texts, calls, and urgent requests for meetings to dissuade them from attending the conference in Taiwan. Some lawmakers have reported receiving vague inquiries about their travel plans, while others have described the contact as more threatening. For example, one lawmaker from Bosnia said that Chinese diplomats contacted the president of her political party asking him to prevent her from going to Taiwan. Despite the pressure, lawmakers like Sanela Klarić from Bosnia remain determined to attend the conference, viewing the interference as a form of manipulation and control through fear.
The pressure exerted by Chinese officials on lawmakers to prevent them from attending the IPAC meeting in Taiwan has been deemed as “gross foreign interference” by the alliance’s director, Luke de Pulford. He criticized the Chinese officials for trying to interfere with the travel plans of foreign legislators, highlighting the outrageous and unacceptable nature of their actions. The conference, which is expected to host lawmakers from 25 countries, including Japan, India, and the U.K., aims to address the challenges and threats posed by China to the democratic world, as well as show support for Taiwan.
China’s pressure on lawmakers to deter them from attending the IPAC meeting in Taiwan has triggered backlash from some participants. Bolivian Senator Centa Rek expressed her refusal to comply with the Chinese diplomat’s demands, emphasizing that it was an unacceptable intrusion. The diplomat had labeled Taiwan as being run by an “imposter president” and questioned the legitimacy of the conference. Despite the coercive tactics employed by Chinese diplomats, participants like Miriam Lexmann from Slovakia remain committed to attending the summit to exchange information and support Taiwan in the face of challenges posed by China.
China’s strategy to isolate Taiwan and prevent international support for the island has been ongoing for years, with the recent shift in diplomatic recognition in Beijing’s favor. However, China’s heavy-handed approach has also led to backlash from other countries. In 2021, Beijing downgraded relations with Lithuania after the Baltic nation allowed a Taiwanese representative office to use the name Taiwan, leading to criticism from the EU. The coercive tactics employed by Chinese officials in pressuring lawmakers to avoid attending the IPAC meeting in Taiwan have only strengthened the resolve of participants to support the island nation and address the challenges posed by China.
Despite the pressure from Chinese diplomats, lawmakers from various countries remain committed to attending the IPAC meeting in Taiwan to discuss democratic approaches to Beijing and show support for the self-governed island. The attempts by Chinese officials to influence the travel plans of foreign legislators have been met with defiance and condemnation from the targeted lawmakers. The conference aims to address the threats posed by China to the democratic world and strengthen support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese pressure. The refusal of lawmakers to succumb to the coercion highlights their determination to stand against foreign interference and assert their right to engage in international dialogue.
