The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) has lost representatives from three member countries due to coercion from China, IPAC cofounder and executive director Luke de Pulford said on Saturday, adding that Beijing is using direct diplomatic coercion to deter international support for Taiwan.
De Pulford told the 54th annual conference of the European Federation of Taiwanese Associations that China’s coercion has led representatives from Malawi, the Gambia and the Solomon Islands to withdraw from the alliance.
COERCION
Photo: CNA
Beijing threatened to cancel the Malawian president’s visit to China if its lawmakers do not withdraw from IPAC, he said, adding that the Gambia faced a similar threat.
That showed that China is using official government exchanges to block countries from showing support for Taiwan, De Pulford said.
China also told the Solomon Islands government to release an official statement saying the country supports the “one China” principle, and to have its two lawmakers, who were cochairs of IPAC, drop out, he said.
“It [Beijing] got both,” De Pulford said.
One of the cochairs withdrew, so only Solomon Islands lawmakers Peter Kenilorea Jr remains, he added.
Beijing’s coercion is systematic, De Pulford said, citing as an example the IPAC summit in Taipei last year, when China obtained a list of attendees in advance and coerced members from 11 countries not to attend.
China continues to coerce Kenya and other African countries, he said, adding that international friends who speak up for Taiwan are facing enormous pressure from Beijing and that they need support.
DISINFORMATION
De Pulford also addressed rumors that Taiwan paid IPAC 8 billion euros (US$9.3 billion) to allow Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to make a speech at the European Parliament, saying the alliance has never taken donations from the government.
The claim was “malicious disinformation,” he added.
IPAC recently blocked private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners’ bid to purchase the UK’s Daily Telegraph, which showed that the alliance has substantial influence and is not controlled by any government, he said.
However, international organizations and lawmakers supporting Taiwan are facing ever heavier political pressure from Beijing, whose interference is becoming more direct and tangible, De Pulford said, adding that they also need support from Taipei.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS