Global Lawmakers Snub Chinese Intimidation, Attend Taiwan Summit

Taiwan welcomed international parliamentarians amid Chinese intimidation tactics for the annual China-focused Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit. Diplomats reported pressure from China to avoid attendance. The summit will feature Taiwan's President Lai Ching amidst ongoing Chinese aggression in the Taiwan Strait.

Amid ongoing intimidation tactics by China, Taiwan on Monday welcomed a group of parliamentarians from around the world for an annual China-focused summit, according to the country's central news agency. The summit, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), is set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, drawing lawmakers from 35 countries concerned about how democracies should approach Beijing.

Diplomats from at least six countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and an unnamed Asian country, reported facing pressure from Chinese diplomats to not attend the Taiwan summit. These diplomats described the actions as attempts to isolate the self-governed island, according to ABC News. Representatives said they received "texts, calls, and urgent requests" for meetings that would interfere with their travel plans to Taipei.

In a statement, IPAC condemned China for its "clear attempt to intimidate and dissuade" its members from traveling to Taiwan. "Some discovered their party leadership had been contacted to exert additional pressure. One lawmaker was specifically invited to travel to China rather than Taipei," IPAC added.

Per Focus Taiwan, the fourth annual IPAC summit in Taipei will feature an address by President Lai Ching. The summit occurs against the backdrop of China's increasing use of grey zone tactics in the Taiwan Strait and against the Taiwanese people, who China claims as part of its territory.

As part of its grey zone tactics, China frequently deploys fighter jets and navy ships to encircle Taiwan. Following the election of President Lai, China conducted military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. "Cross-strait stability" will be a key agenda item at the IPAC summit, with high-level contributions expected from the Taiwanese government and international experts.

IPAC, founded in 2020 by former UK politician Iain Duncan Smith, aims to promote a unified international stance against Chinese aggression. Since 2000, Beijing has sanctioned IPAC members, and in 2021, the group was reportedly targeted by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, as per a U.S. indictment unsealed earlier this year. Concurrently, members of the Quad—Australia, India, the United States, and Japan—met in Tokyo and issued a joint statement condemning China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

(With inputs from agencies.)