TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will host the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) in Taipei on Monday (July 28), with 49 lawmakers from 23 countries to attend. 

Ahead of the IPAC forum, Chinese diplomats are reportedly trying to pressure lawmakers to stay out of Taiwan and abandon the event, reported AP news. Lawmakers at the IPAC forum are expected to discuss cross-strait security with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), per UDN. 

To isolate Taiwan and stymie the work of the IPAC, Chinese embassies were requesting contact with lawmakers who are members of the IPAC, trying to schedule meetings to conflict with the IPAC forum, reports said. 

Reports indicated that politicians in Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia, and other countries have received messages from Chinese officials inquiring about plans to attend the forum and urging them to refrain. IPAC Director Luke de Pulford was quoted by AP News, saying that the pressure from Chinese officials this year has been “unprecedented.” 

On Sunday (July 28), IPAC released a statement condemning the attempt by China to intimidate lawmakers and interfere with the summit in Taipei. The statement confirmed that at least eight lawmakers in five countries were targeted, with at least one being offered a trip to China instead of Taiwan. 

The press release said that China’s “actions around IPAC’s Summit are yet another example of their brazen efforts to curtail other nations’ democratic privileges and negate Taiwan’s rights to engage in legitimate diplomatic exchanges.” 

The IPAC was formed in 2020 to create coordinated international policy in response to perceived dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party. It has held previous forums in Rome, Washington, and Prague. This year will be the first time that IPAC members convene in Taiwan. 

The focus of this year’s forum is to craft a coordinated campaign aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the legislators to promote in their home countries, according to a press release. Cyber-security is also expected to be a major topic of discussion.