CCP Exerts Pressure on Lawmakers of Various Nations to Boycott Taiwan Summit
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China stated that Beijing’s actions were an obvious effort to intimidate and discourage lawmakers from attending the event.
Lawmakers from five countries reported that the Chinese communist regime applied pressure on them not to take part in an annual summit in Taiwan related to China.
Before departing for the summit in July, eight lawmakers from Bolivia, Bosnia, Colombia, North Macedonia, and Slovakia were contacted via phone or email by Chinese diplomatic officials. These officials also requested urgent meetings that clashed with the lawmakers’ travel plans.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) organizers described Beijing’s actions as an attempt to intimidate and discourage lawmakers from attending the event.
IPAC revealed that some lawmakers were pressured by CCP officials who contacted their party leaders. One legislator was even invited to visit China instead of Taiwan.
Established in 2020, IPAC is an international alliance of legislators from democratic nations aiming to address the growing threats posed by China under the CCP to global trade, security, and human rights.
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IPAC Director Luke de Pulford noted that the level of pressure from CCP officials on lawmakers during this event was unprecedented. Unlike previous IPAC meetings where Chinese diplomats approached them after the conference, this year saw a coordinated effort by the CCP to deter lawmakers from attending the summit in Taiwan.
The alliance stated in its release that due to the abnormal behavior of the CCP officials, IPAC members have the right to lodge formal complaints with their respective Foreign Ministries.
IPAC members frequently denounce the Chinese communist regime for its human rights violations, eroding freedom in Hong Kong, lack of transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic, and targeting of ethnic minority groups.
IPAC disclosed that the conference will take place on July 30, with participation from nearly 50 lawmakers representing over 20 countries, including Canada, Japan, and the UK.
In response to CCP intimidation, IPAC announced the addition of six more countries to the alliance: Colombia, Iraq, Malawi, the Solomon Islands, the Gambia, and Uruguay.
The Chinese communist regime has a history of targeting IPAC, imposing sanctions on some members in retaliation for imposing sanctions on CCP officials involved in Uyghur repression.
In March, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted seven Chinese hackers linked to a state-backed hacking group APT31. These hackers were accused of targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and lawmakers for over a decade to advance China’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
IPAC lawmakers’ email accounts, including those in the European Union and UK parliamentary accounts, were reportedly targeted by these hackers, most of whom were IPAC members or vocal critics of the CCP.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the threats posed by the Chinese government’s malicious cyber operations to U.S. national security and allies, pointing out the lengths to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics.
Contributions from The Associated Press to this report.
