'Anti-China Parliamentary Alliance' Urges Restraint on Chinese Military Actions Targeting Taiwan

Xiaomeiqin, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] A 'pro-China alliance' of lawmakers from the United States and other Western countries is reportedly set to announce a pledge condemning China's military actions against Taiwan and calling for strong deterrence measures.

Major foreign media reported on the 14th that the 'Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China' (IPAC) forum is being held in Washington, D.C., and conveyed this information.

IPAC is expected to sign a pledge urging member governments to exercise greater deterrence against China's military actions or other coercive acts toward Taiwan. IPAC is an alliance formed in June 2020 by lawmakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Norway, Sweden, and the European Union (EU) to counterbalance China.

The draft pledge to be announced on the closing day of the forum, the 14th (local time), reportedly includes the statement: "We will launch a campaign to signal to China that any military attack on Taiwan by our governments will come at a very high cost."

Additionally, the draft pledge includes the content: "To deter military escalation and ensure that trade and exchanges with Taiwan are not disrupted, we must consider economic and political measures, including meaningful sanctions against China."

The Chinese leadership, headed by President Xi Jinping, claims Taiwan as part of China and does not rule out the use of physical force for unification.

Since May 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party took office as Taiwan's president, China has severed official relations with Taiwan and has applied intense military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan.