Taiwan’s Representative Office in Thailand issued a statement on Friday, Aug. 21, condemning the Chinese Embassy in Thailand for intervening in the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” held by the Thailand Chinese Association on Aug. 16 and using the occasion to promote United Front narratives and make what Taiwan described as false claims.
The representative office accused a small number of association members of cooperating with the Chinese side in ways that undermined the lecture’s traditional purpose, adding that it would consider appropriate countermeasures as the situation develops.
According to a report by the Central News Agency (CNA), Taiwan’s Representative Office in Thailand said the Thailand Chinese Association has organized the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” for nearly 30 years. Its original purpose was to promote academic and cultural exchanges based on freedom, democracy and openness. In the past, representatives of both sides stationed overseas had maintained an understanding of mutual respect: they could attend the event but would not take the stage to speak.
However, this year’s lecture, due to the actions of a small number of individuals, not only departed from this historical tradition but also violated the association’s board resolution reached earlier to “avoid political controversy,” as well as the joint decision regarding this year’s lecture procedures.
The Thailand Chinese Association was established in 1947, and the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” has been held since 1993. Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu served as keynote speakers in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
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According to the Thailand Chinese Association’s official social media page, the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” is held “in the spirit of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s principle of ‘the world as a commonwealth,’ with the aim of exploring cross-strait relations and the development of Chinese communities.” This year marks the 29th edition of the lecture, with Xin Qiang, a professor at Fudan University in China, serving as the keynote speaker.
According to the website of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, this year marked the first time that the Chinese ambassador to Thailand had been invited to attend and deliver remarks at the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture.” During the event, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jianwei spoke about “upholding the greater interests of the Chinese nation and building a consensus on reunification.”
Taiwan’s representative responds
In an Aug. 21 statement, Taiwan’s Representative Office in Thailand said it had repeatedly communicated with the Thailand Chinese Association about the event and had received support from a majority of the association’s board. The office alleged, however, that a small number of members continued to spread false information and ultimately disregarded the board’s consensus during the lecture, seriously damaging the mutual trust built between the two sides over many years.
The statement specifically named Thailand Chinese Association Chairman Chen Hongzhang, Permanent Honorary Chairman Hsu Ching-chi, and lecture organizing committee chairman Chiu Yeh, accusing them and several others of siding with the Chinese side, departing from the lecture’s longstanding traditions, and misleading the public through what the office described as false assurances and statements during earlier discussions with Taiwan’s representatives. The office said it “strongly condemned” their actions.
The representative office reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has never been the problem; rather, “China’s diplomatic coercion and its refusal to renounce the use of force to achieve unification are the root causes of the threat to regional peace.” It stressed that Thailand is a sovereign and independent democracy, and that the overseas Chinese community in Thailand and Taiwan’s community there are by no means subjects that the Chinese government can freely mobilize for political purposes.
The representative office called on the Chinese Embassy in Thailand to exercise restraint and expressed strong protest and condemnation over its use of the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” for United Front activities and other political manipulation.
The representative office said that, given that the Thailand Chinese Association had allowed the lecture to become a “United Front platform,” it would immediately conduct a comprehensive review and reassessment of its future cooperation plans and support resources involving the association. Regarding the actions of a small number of association members who had deliberately undermined the traditional purpose of the “Sun Yat-sen Lecture” and damaged the friendship between the two sides, the representative office said it would take necessary countermeasures depending on subsequent developments.
The representative office expressed hope that the Thailand Chinese Association would promptly return to the “spirit of Sun Yat-sen” and the original purpose for which the lecture was established, and implement the decisions reached by a majority of the board. It urged the association to prevent the actions of a small number of individuals from damaging the friendship built over many years.
The representative office said it would continue working with overseas Chinese organizations in Thailand to promote exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand.
The “Sun Yat-sen Lecture,” organized by the Thailand Chinese Association, is an annual flagship cultural and academic exchange event. Established in 1993, it has a history spanning more than 30 years. The lecture aims to uphold Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit of “the world as a commonwealth,” promote academic and cultural exchanges based on freedom and democracy, and explore cross-Strait relations and the development of Chinese communities.
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