An overseas Taiwanese association is seeking public support after it was denied access to a cultural festival set to be held in September in Lyon, France, because of pressure from China.
The Association Culturelle des Taiwanais de Lyon (ACTL), which promotes Taiwan globally, said that the organizer of the Fete des Bannieres du Monde — the festival of world banners — denied its application to participate after Chinese participants threatened to withdraw if Taiwan was allowed entry.
ACTL chairwoman Yang Pei-yu (楊佩瑜) said she was surprised to learn about the rejection, as the event is perceived to have nothing to do with politics.
Photo: Screen grab from Comite des Fetes de la Ville de Lyon’s Facebook page
“We are seeking to resort to public opinion,” Yang said, adding that the association is reaching out to French media to ensure its voice is heard.
The ACTL first wrote to the organizer in October last year to ask about the application procedure, and was asked to wait until discussions between last year’s and this year’s event committee members had taken place, the association said.
However, the ACTL said it did not receive a clear response from the organizer despite trying to seek clarification multiple times since January.
It was not until the end of last month that the organizer finally responded, explaining that during discussions, Chinese participants had pressured them into blocking the ACTL, it said.
Similar interference from China also occurred last year, the ACTL said, adding that the organization had not officially registered for the event, but was stopped by Chinese festivalgoers when members tried to display Taiwan’s national flag.
The Chinese attendees threatened to call the police, the ACTL said, adding the organizer asked the association to remove the flag and register for next year’s event to showcase Taiwan.
As part of its work, the ACTL traveled to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, last month to promote Taiwan’s inclusion in the decisionmaking body of the WHO.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods
THUGGISH BEHAVIOR: Encouraging people to report independence supporters is another intimidation tactic that threatens cross-strait peace, the state department said China setting up an online system for reporting “Taiwanese independence” advocates is an “irresponsible and reprehensible” act, a US government spokesperson said on Friday. “China’s call for private individuals to report on alleged ‘persecution or suppression’ by supposed ‘Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices’ is irresponsible and reprehensible,” an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency in an e-mail. The move is part of Beijing’s “intimidation campaign” against Taiwan and its supporters, and is “threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo,” the spokesperson said. The Chinese Communist Party’s “threats
RSS