Taiwan Welcomes Parliamentarians for China-Focused Summit Despite Chinese Pressure
Amidst ongoing intimidation tactics from China, Taiwan hosted a group of parliamentarians from around the world for the annual Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit. The summit, held in Taipei on July 29 and 30, saw participation from lawmakers of 35 countries concerned about how democracies approach Beijing.
Despite pressure from Chinese diplomats, representatives from six countries – Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and one Asian country – defied attempts to dissuade them from attending the summit. These representatives reported receiving "texts, calls, and urgent requests" for meetings that conflicted with their travel plans to Taipei.
IPAC condemned China's actions as "a clear attempt to intimidate and dissuade" its members from traveling to Taiwan. The group also revealed that some lawmakers faced pressure from their party leadership and even received invitations to travel to China instead of Taipei.
The summit took place against the backdrop of China's increasingly aggressive "grey zone" tactics in the Taiwan Strait. These tactics include sending fighter jets and navy ships to encircle the island nation, which China claims as its territory.
"Cross-strait stability" topped the agenda of the IPAC summit, with contributions from the Taiwanese government and world-leading experts. The group, founded in 2020, aims to promote a united and tougher stance towards Chinese aggression.
The IPAC meeting coincided with a meeting of the Quad grouping (Australia, India, the United States, and Japan) in Tokyo. The Quad issued a joint statement criticizing China's increasingly aggressive behavior in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.
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