TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has lost lawmakers from three countries due to Chinese pressure, co-founder and executive director Luke de Pulford said.

Speaking at the 54th European Federation of Taiwanese Associations conference in Paris, de Pulford said lawmakers from Malawi, Gambia, and the Solomon Islands withdrew from IPAC in recent years, per CNA.

In April, Beijing threatened to cancel the Malawian president’s planned visit to China unless its lawmakers withdrew from IPAC, he said. Gambia faced a similar situation.

Beijing also demanded that two Solomon Islands IPAC co-chairs withdraw from the alliance and issue a statement supporting the “one China” principle, de Pulford said. One of the co-chairs withdrew, leaving only Solomon Islands lawmaker Peter Kenilorea Jr. still speaking up for Taiwan, he added.

The IPAC co-founder said that ahead of last year’s IPAC annual meeting in Taipei, Beijing obtained the attendee list and pressured delegates from 11 countries to pull out. He said China also pressured Kenya and other African countries to refrain from attending this year’s IPAC meeting.

De Pulford said those trying to stand up for Taiwan are under immense pressure from Beijing and need support. He clarified that IPAC does not receive large donations from the Taiwanese government.

He added that aside from facilitating Vice President Hsiao’s speech at the European Parliament, IPAC also helped prevent pro-Beijing US businessman John Thornton’s RedBird Capital Partners from acquiring the US’s Daily Telegraph. “Because of this,” he said, “IPAC is a highly influential organization.”

IPAC lawmakers adopted a declaration last week defining actions that undermine the Taiwan Strait status quo and calling on democracies to form a joint strategy to counter Beijing’s coercion.