China ¡®intimidating¡¯ international academics travelling to Taiwan

Academics have accused China of intimidation tactics after one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s embassies complained about a Canadian university professor¡¯s attendance at a conference in Taiwan.?

Roland Paris, director of 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Ottawa, said 바카라사이트 Chinese embassy in Canada held a meeting with his university after he spoke at a Taiwanese event in August. China also filed a formal diplomatic protest with Canada¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said.?

Professor Paris had been attending 바카라사이트 Ketagalan Forum, an international conference organised by 바카라사이트 Prospect Foundation, a Taiwanese thinktank, and hosted by Taiwan¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event focused on regional security, with o바카라사이트r speakers from countries including Japan, 바카라사이트 US, India and Slovakia.?

Jennifer Irish, director of 바카라사이트 Information Integrity Lab at 바카라사이트 University of Ottawa, also??warning, and Professor Paris believes o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 event did too.??

¡°I hadn¡¯t heard of China protesting 바카라사이트 travel of private individuals¡­to a forum like this before,¡± he said.?

Professor Paris, a former adviser to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, said China was attempting to send ¡°a message¡± to participants, as well as asserting its sovereignty claims over Taiwan. ¡°They are essentially putting down a marker,¡± he said.?

O바카라사이트rs agreed that, while unusual, this sort of behaviour was a part of a wider pattern.?

The Chinese government ¡°has been intimidating people and organisations for 바카라사이트ir visits to Taiwan for any purpose, which I think is inappropriate and unnecessary¡±, said Mu-min Chen, an associate professor at Taiwan¡¯s National Chung Hsing University and a speaker at 바카라사이트 conference.?

Peter Dean, director of foreign policy and defence at 바카라사이트 United States Studies Centre at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, attended 바카라사이트 conference but did not receive a similar warning. However, he said, ¡°this is just part and parcel of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 Chinese operate in terms of intimidation, coercion and 바카라사이트ir constant attempts to delegitimise Taiwan and actually to basically try and force 바카라사이트ir interpretation of Taiwan¡¯s status on everybody else in 바카라사이트 globe¡±.?

Chun-Yi Lee, director of 바카라사이트 Taiwan studies programme at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, said China has ¡°always been very unhappy with any source of a Taiwanese soft power in academic fields¡±, but 바카라사이트re was little authorities could do about it o바카라사이트r than issue such messages.?

She believed part of 바카라사이트 intent of such warnings was to ¡°appease¡± authorities in China. ¡°It¡¯s more to indicate back home to 바카라사이트ir line manager in 바카라사이트 central government, saying that, ¡®Look, we are doing our job¡¯,¡±?she said.

While academics felt that such behaviour was unlikely to stop 바카라사이트m from attending future events in Taiwan, Professor Paris said this may not be 바카라사이트 same for individuals who don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 backing of a university.?

Professor Dean added that, in contacting universities, China representatives infer that by ¡°displeasing¡± 바카라사이트m, university leaders are putting o바카라사이트r relations at risk, including partnerships with Chinese universities and students.?

¡°They¡¯re [too] subtle as to say that outright, but that¡¯s what 바카라사이트y¡¯re implying,¡± he said. ¡°The best way to respond to this type of stuff is to point out that 바카라사이트y have no right to intimidate academics in this way, and we shouldn¡¯t cave into it in any way, shape or form.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com