Taiwan's foreign minister Lin Chia-Lung declared on Wednesday that China's attempts to pressure other countries to limit Taiwan's access to international events has become 'the new normal'. According to reports from Associated Press, this statement came after Taiwanese delegates were detained in Kenya and denied access to an ocean conference reportedly due to Chinese pressure on the organisers. The incident involved two Taiwanese delegates whose passports and mobile phones were confiscated and they were detained for more than 20 hours before being allowed to leave Kenya. As per Associated Press, Lin noted that 'Some Global South countries are manipulated by the Chinese government in every way' and that 'Some democratic countries are trying to fight against it'. In the latest incident, two Taiwanese delegates to the international Our Ocean Conference being held in Mombasa were denied access on the grounds that their Taiwanese passports were not recognized, as reported by Taiwan's Foreign Ministry.
While Taiwan faces diplomatic pressure, Europe is confronting what economists are calling 'China Shock 2.0' - a more disruptive version of the trade competition that affected the US in the 2000s. According to Associated Press, China's exports to the 27-nation EU climbed 16.4% in January to May from a year earlier, with French trade deficit with China rising to $5.3 billion from $3.3 billion a year earlier. China's global trade surplus reached an astonishing $1.2 trillion last year, despite eight years of US economic warfare including big taxes on Chinese products. As reported by Associated Press, Chinese exports now compete with nearly 58% of the exports from the 21 European countries that share the euro currency, up from 46% in 2000. Former U.S. trade negotiator Wendy Cutler warns that 'Beijing has been relying on the rest of the world to address its overcapacity problem' but this unsustainable situation may change if the EU and others take steps to halt Chinese imports.
In April, Taiwan's president postponed a planned visit to Eswatini after three countries withdrew permission for him to fly over their territories following pressure from China, as reported by Associated Press. The rest of the Taiwanese delegation withdrew from the Our Ocean Conference after the incident in Kenya, with the conference being held in Mombasa. China regards Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as a breakaway province and has not renounced the use of force to annex it. In recent months, Beijing has ramped up a campaign of pressuring other countries to limit the access of Taiwanese officials or delegates to various events. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war, with defeated Nationalist Party forces fleeing to Taiwan.
Kenya defended its decision to deny access to the Taiwanese delegates, with Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei stating that Kenya's foreign policy 'recognises only one China'. According to Associated Press, Sing'oei explained that 'Any person purporting to hold a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily not be allowed through our borders for lacking proper documentation' and would 'not in any event be part of a formal state meeting convened by Kenya government'. Lin criticised Kenya for its 'unilateral distortion and unwarranted expansion of their so-called One China' interpretation' and called the obstruction 'absolutely wrong'. As per Associated Press, Lin said 'We strongly condemn and protest against it' at an event hosted by the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club. China has not commented on the accusations.
China has long tried to limit Taiwan's representation in international bodies, including the World Health Organization and its governing body, as well as at the Olympic Games where Taiwan is forced to participate under the name 'Chinese Taipei'. As reported by Associated Press, Lin noted that China is increasingly pressuring other countries to exclude Taiwan, especially when it comes to developing and emerging economies under Beijing's economic sway. The Our Ocean Conference focuses on addressing critical ocean issues including climate change, biodiversity and pollution, with hundreds of delegates from Africa, the US, the European Union and climate-vulnerable Caribbean and Pacific island nations participating. Organizers have sought to position Africa — which is hosting the event for the first time — as a driving force in global ocean governance.
