Taiwan Hosts Dozens of Foreign Lawmakers in Washington to Lobby for China Sanctions

Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US hosted the meeting of about 60 lawmakers from Europe, Asia, and Africa

Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US hosted dozens of foreign lawmakers in Washington DC to push for more sanctions on China, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The Taiwanese official, Hsiao Bi-khim, hosted the gathering of about 60 lawmakers from Europe, Asia, and Africa at Taipei’s diplomatic mansion in Washington, known as Twin Oaks.

The meeting was attended by two representatives from Ukraine, who were welcomed by Hsiao. “We certainly hope that as the international community stands with Ukraine, that the international community will also stand with Taiwan … that together we can deter the further aggression coming from China,” she told the gathering.

The gathering came amid reports that the US is considering sanctions on China to deter it from attacking Taiwan and that Taipei is lobbying the EU to take similar action.

The meeting included members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of international lawmakers that was formed in 2020 to work against Beijing. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) serve as the American representatives to IPAC.

IPAC is holding a separate meeting in Washington this week, and according to a draft document obtained by Reuters, the group will sign a pledge to adopt “greater deterrence against military or other coercive” Chinese actions against Taiwan.

On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is chaired by Menendez, advanced a bill that would give Taiwan $6.5 billion in military aid and radically alter US policy toward the island.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.