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.
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