China’s Influence on Taiwan’s Participation in Global Events

Attempts by China to exert pressure on other countries to limit Taiwan’s access to international events have increasingly become routine. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-Lung, made this statement following the detention of Taiwanese delegates in Kenya, who were denied access to an ocean conference. The situation reportedly occurred due to Chinese pressure on the organizers.

China considers Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as a rebellious province and has not dismissed the use of force to annex it. Recently, Beijing has intensified efforts to restrict the participation of Taiwanese officials or delegates in various events. For instance, in April, Taiwan’s president had to postpone a planned visit to Eswatini after several countries denied him overflight rights due to Chinese influence. The visit eventually took place on a plane chartered by Eswatini’s king.

In the latest incident at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, two Taiwanese delegates were denied access because their passports were not recognized. The delegates’ passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were detained for over 20 hours before leaving the country. The remaining Taiwanese delegation withdrew from the conference in response to the incident.

Kenya defended its decision, with Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei stating that the country’s foreign policy recognizes only one China. Lin criticized Kenya for what he described as a ‘unilateral distortion’ of the ‘One China’ policy and condemned Kenya’s actions, stating that preventing Taiwanese delegates from attending the meeting was entirely wrong.

China has not responded to the accusations but has a long history of attempting to curtail Taiwan’s presence in international organizations like the World Health Organization. At the Olympic Games, Taiwan participates as ‘Chinese Taipei’ due to Beijing’s influence. Lin noted that China’s pressure is increasing, especially on developing and emerging economies that are economically allied with Beijing.

Kenya is hosting the annual oceans conference, focusing on vital ocean issues, including climate change, biodiversity, and pollution. The event draws hundreds of delegates from Africa, the U.S., the European Union, and climate-vulnerable Caribbean and Pacific island nations. Organizers aim to position Africa as a crucial player in global ocean governance.

Sing’oei clarified that anyone holding a Taiwanese passport would typically not be admitted entry to Kenya, lacking proper documentation, and would not partake in formal state meetings organized by the Kenyan government.

China and Taiwan have been separately governed since 1949, following the rise of the Communist Party in Beijing after a civil war. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later evolved into a multiparty democracy. For decades, China has claimed Taiwan as part of its territory, asserting control over the island is essential, even with force if necessary.