VP Hsiao welcomes lawmakers from around the world for IPAC summit

Taipei, July 29 (CNA) Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Monday welcomed a group of visiting parliamentarians from around the world who are in Taipei for an annual meeting, saying that Taiwan and the world's democracies have a shared mission in "protecting democracy, peace and prosperity."

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), consisting of hundreds of lawmakers from 35 countries concerned about the People's Republic of China's (PRC) threat to global democracy, is holding its annual summit in Taiwan.

Hsiao greeted the group, led by Japan's Diet member Yasue Funayama, at the Taipei Guest House.

Hsiao told the visiting parliamentarians that Taiwan and the world's democracies have a "common and shared agenda of ensuring democracy, peace and prosperity."

IPAC's trip comes as Taiwan faces "significant challenges in all of these areas," with Beijing "aggressively expanding their military presence as well as other gray-zone hybrid tactics of coercion in the Taiwan Strait and toward the people of Taiwan," she said.

"Your presence here is at a very important moment as we strive to make Taiwan much more resilient in our own self-defense but also resilient in our democracy and resilient in our society and resilient in our economy," she added.

On behalf of the IPAC delegation, Funayama delivered an address during the Taipei Guest House meeting, according to Taiwan's Presidential Office. Her remarks, however, were not made public.

IPAC will hold its fourth annual summit in Taipei on Tuesday and Wednesday, with 48 lawmakers from 24 countries across five continents set to participate.

"Cross-strait stability will be at the top of the (summit's) agenda, with high level contributions from the Taiwanese government and world leading experts," IPAC wrote in a recent press release.

"It will be the largest parliamentary delegation ever to visit Taiwan in an institutional capacity."

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and opposition Taiwan People's Party will both be attending this year's summit.

On Monday DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) called on her Kuomintang (KMT) counterparts to attend the Taipei summit to show that parties from across the political spectrum in Taiwan are willing to "make friends" with parliamentarians from around the globe.

In response, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) said the KMT will "not obstruct" its members from attending the summit.

A KMT source, however, told CNA that it has been the party's stance not to send an official delegation to attend IPAC events, though they did not explain why.

IPAC released a press statement on Sunday condemning China for allegedly pressuring its members not to fly to Taiwan to attend the alliance's summit.

According to the group, IPAC members were contacted by PRC embassies in their respective countries as part of a "clear attempt to intimidate and dissuade" them from traveling to Taiwan.

Formed in 2020, IPAC has over 250 members from 35 legislatures and the European Parliament. It is an international, cross-party alliance of parliamentarians from democratic countries focused on relations with the PRC.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it welcomed the upcoming summit and confirmed that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) will deliver an address at the event.

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