China's threats against Taiwan 'will not work,' says Puma Shen

The Hague, Nov. 22 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), who is currently visiting the Netherlands for a democracy summit, said China's use of legal means to threaten Taiwan, including recent calls by a Chinese legal expert and local government for his arrest, "will not work."

Speaking to CNA in The Hague, Shen said that over the past two months he has been engaged in similar international political outreach in the United States, South Korea, Germany, and now the Netherlands, calling such work essential.

Citing South Korea as an example, Shen said that although the country has an extradition treaty with China, he still recently went there for a conference attended by like-minded democratic partners.

"China really wants to stop me from carrying out these international engagement efforts, so it is trying to impose sanctions on me and prevent me from traveling abroad," he said.

In late October, the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau listed Shen as "wanted" and is investigating him for alleged "criminal activities of secession." A Chinese legal expert recently suggested that Shen could be pursued through Interpol.

Regarding his recent trips abroad, Shen said, "These actions are meant to show the people of Taiwan that China is a paper tiger. What it is doing is largely symbolic propaganda for domestic audiences, and Taiwan should not be afraid," adding that he hopes the people of Taiwan understand that China's legal threats are ineffective against them.

China's threats to the democratic world are increasing in both scope and intensity, with rhetoric becoming stronger, the lawmaker said, noting that China's recent stance toward Japan shows that its "wolf warrior diplomacy," a confrontational form of public diplomacy adopted by Chinese diplomats, has escalated to a new level.

Beyond diplomacy, he said China is also making moves militarily and economically, hence the reason why democratic countries must form alliances and understand its strategies.

Separately on Friday, Shen shared a video on his Facebook page showing him posing in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, in a gesture of defiance against China's threats.

This is where dictators are tried for war crimes or genocide, he said, adding that, as a defender of democracy, he will not be intimidated even though he is now wanted by an authoritarian regime.

The 209th Executive Committee Meeting organized by Liberal International (LI) is being held in The Hague from Friday to Sunday.

According to the official agenda, Shen is scheduled to attend a panel discussion titled "Defending Democracy in an Era of Political Manipulation."

Shen and DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) were both invited to attend the event on behalf of Taiwan's ruling party, it said in a news release on Saturday.

Fan was elected vice president of LI last year and also serves as co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) and head of the Legislative Yuan's Taiwan-Europe parliamentary friendship group, while Shen specializes in information and cognitive warfare in authoritarian regimes, according to the DPP's international affairs department.

Also in a Facebook post, Fan said she and Shen are not afraid and will continue Taiwan's diplomatic work while carrying on the fight for the country.