The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) recently led parliamentarians from six countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, India, and Ukraine, on a visit to Kinmen, where they boarded vessels operated by Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration to observe the frontline situation in the Taiwan Strait.
The visit drew widespread attention and was criticized by the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), which accused the delegation of cooperating with Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in carrying out a political maneuver, Reuters reported.
In response, Luke de Pulford, co-founder and executive director of IPAC, publicly clarified on July 11 that the entire itinerary was proposed and planned by IPAC itself. He stated that the purpose was to allow lawmakers from various countries to gain a first-hand understanding of the current situation in the Taiwan Strait, and that the visit was not initiated or led by the Taiwan government or the Coast Guard Administration.
On July 9, the IPAC delegation traveled to Kinmen and boarded a 100-ton-class Coast Guard patrol vessel. The group sailed through waters surrounding Kinmen, observed China’s recent land reclamation projects and the security situation in surrounding waters, and exchanged views with Taiwan’s Coast Guard and relevant authorities on Taiwan Strait security issues.
First time event
IPAC stated that this was the first time lawmakers from multiple countries had jointly visited the frontline area of the Taiwan Strait for an on-site assessment. The organization said the visit aimed to deepen international legislators’ understanding of cross-strait developments and Indo-Pacific security through direct observation. It also reiterated that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as freedom of navigation, is closely connected to global economic security and the resilience of supply chains, reported Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
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Addressing outside criticism, Luke de Pulford wrote on social media on July 11 that he had long hoped to arrange visits for foreign political figures to Kinmen. He said that only by witnessing the local situation firsthand could they truly understand the challenges facing Taiwan Strait security and enhance awareness of related issues among legislatures around the world.
He explained that the idea for the visit originated from him personally and was proposed to the Taiwan side. Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided assistance with administrative arrangements, allowing the inspection tour to proceed smoothly.
Luke de Pulford emphasized that IPAC was not carrying out a mission on behalf of the Taiwan government, nor was the maritime inspection initiated by Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration. Instead, the visit was independently planned by the alliance, with the aim of deepening democratic countries’ understanding of the Indo-Pacific security situation through a first-hand visit by international parliamentarians. He thanked relevant Taiwanese government agencies for providing necessary assistance but stressed that the itinerary itself was an autonomous arrangement by IPAC.
Response to CCP’s anger
Responding to the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office claim that IPAC had been “used” by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as well as media reports portraying the activity as being organized by the Taiwan government, de Pulford said such descriptions did not reflect the facts.
He pointed out that outside observers often mistakenly believe that the international community lacks interest in Taiwan-related issues. In reality, many lawmakers from different countries have actively sought more opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of the Taiwan Strait situation and obtain first-hand information through on-site visits, which can serve as an important reference for future policymaking.
The inspection not only highlighted concerns among democratic countries regarding Taiwan Strait security, but also reflected IPAC’s continued efforts to strengthen international awareness of China’s regional military and maritime activities through exchanges among lawmakers across countries.
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