Global activists gather on sidelines of G20, demand 'tougher action' on China

Legislators and representatives from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) gathered on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome to stage a protest against China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi visit and demand a tougher stance towards the Chinese government.  The demonstrations come as tensions escalated between Beijing and Europe over the Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu’s undisclosed visit to Brussels this week as part of a European tour. The body representing some 200 global parliamentarians from five continents met with prominent leaders of groups targeted by the Chinese government, including Taiwanese Foreign Minister Wu, Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering, former Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law, and Uyghur artist and activist Rahima Mahmut. 

In his statement ahead of the Rome Conference, Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP said, “We will be in Rome to draw attention to President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic onslaught  on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” Furthermore, he added, “We will be in Rome to remind democratic states of their responsibility to safeguard the international rules-based order – rules that we have helped to shape and are now under threat from Beijing,” according to IPAC’s release.

Smith went on to add, “True leadership means addressing these challenges, not pretending they don’t exist. This G20 must be a turning point and China must be at the top of the agenda.”

Cannot continue ‘business as usual' with China, says IPAC 

The legislators lodged protests on China’s human rights abuses on the Uyghur community as well as Beijing’s cooperation on the climate crisis was called out. Many of those that participated at the counter meeting in Rome were banned from travelling to China as punishment for their campaign against Chinese oppression in Xinjiang. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who did not attend the G-20 summit in person had earlier reaffirmed the reunification of Taiwan, labelling the counter-meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (AIPAC) as ‘separatists’. Chinese government slapped at least nine IPAC members with sanctions, as well as travel bans, including former UK Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, Belgian Green MP Samuel Cogolati, EPP MEP Miriam Lexmann and Lithuanian Social Democratic MP Dovilė Šakalienė —  all of whom will be present at the Rome conference. 

“We cannot continue ‘business as usual’ with China while the Chinese government sends near-daily incursions into Taiwan’s airspace, commits atrocities in the Uyghur Region, and oversees the dismantling of Hong Kong’s freedom and autonomy,” said Samuel Cogolati MP, according to IPAC. “There can be no further excuses for inaction. This G20, we need to see democracies find the courage and leadership that so far has been lacking,” he added. 

Image: AP