President's trip blocked, DPP caucus proposes resolution condemning China's suppression

(Central News Agency reporter Wang Yang-yu, Wang Cheng-chung, Taipei, 24th) President Lai Ching-te's planned state visit to the African ally Eswatini was postponed due to Chinese interference. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus proposed today that the legislature pass a resolution condemning the People's Republic of China's brutal actions, and called on democratic partners worldwide to address China's economic and diplomatic coercion against other countries. Fu Kun-chi, the convener of the Kuomintang (KMT) legislative caucus, said they respect the DPP's proposal and the caucus will not express any opinion.

President Lai was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini on the 22nd, but the trip was postponed after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar suddenly revoked the special flight's clearance.

Before the legislative session opened this morning, DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung, secretary-general Fan Yun, and deputy whip Chen Pei-yu held a press conference, stating that the DPP caucus would propose a resolution in today's session, urging the ruling and opposition parties to jointly condemn the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) suppression.

Chuang Jui-hsiung said that the biggest obstacle to Taiwan engaging with the world is the CCP. The DPP caucus is pleased to see the strong support for Taiwan from the US Congress and the world's democratic alliances. Domestically, they call on all ruling and opposition parties to jointly condemn the CCP's unreasonable and brutal suppression this time.

The DPP caucus's proposal pointed out that the Republic of China is an independent and sovereign democratic country. The Chinese government recently used diplomatic coercion and economic pressure to force Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mauritius to revoke the flight clearance for President Lai's special plane without warning, seriously threatening flight safety, violating international norms and practices, and undermining the principles of state equality and non-interference enshrined in international law, openly challenging the international order and suppressing the Republic of China's right to engage with the world.

The DPP caucus's proposal urged the legislature to pass a resolution, including "The legislature, regardless of ruling or opposition parties, firmly supports our country's president in conducting state visits abroad, and insists that the Taiwanese people have the right to engage and cooperate with countries around the world. In addition, we strongly condemn the brutal actions of the government of the People's Republic of China in using coercive means to force third countries to revoke the flight clearance of our head of state's special plane, which violates the United Nations Charter, the spirit of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and diplomatic practices, and constitutes overt interference in the sovereignty of third countries."

The proposal also mentioned urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseas missions, Taiwan-friendly representatives in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and all possible channels to include this incident in international records, and to seek the attention and response of multilateral mechanisms such as ICAO and the UN Human Rights Council.

Finally, the proposal called on all like-minded democratic partners in the world to face up to the PRC's economic and diplomatic coercion against other countries, and to include it in their respective "anti-coercion" policy tools and legislative reviews.

In response, Fu Kun-chi said in an interview at the legislature that DPP caucus convener Tsai Chi-chang approached him for negotiations yesterday. The KMT caucus clearly expressed that the Republic of China must have room for diplomatic survival, and the external development of the Republic of China cannot be blocked, hoping for mutual restraint across the Taiwan Strait.

Fu Kun-chi said that the KMT caucus respects the DPP's proposal and will not express any opinion. Protecting the Republic of China's diplomatic survival and development, as well as its space for economic activities, is the KMT's persistence.

The legislative session will later decide on today's agenda for reports and discussions. (Editor: Wan Shu-chang) 1150424

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