Taipei — Taiwan’s government on Sunday condemned China after the 14th annual RightsCon conference, due to be held in Lusaka, Zambia from May 5–8, was abruptly cancelled following reported pressure from Beijing over the planned participation of Taiwanese delegates.
The Executive Yuan’s Department of Human Rights and Transitional Justice said Beijing’s efforts to block both public- and private-sector participation in RightsCon 2026 were part of a broader campaign to isolate Taiwan internationally. The department said the move sought to ‘force the international community to ignore Taiwan’s free and democratic system’ and to silence human rights advocates raising issues such as surveillance and repression by authoritarian governments.
Taiwanese officials argued the cancellation deprived civil society of an important chance to engage global stakeholders on digital human rights and to build cooperation that strengthens democratic and digital resilience. The department stressed the need to deepen ties with international civil society to protect freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in the digital sphere, according to a CNA report.
Access Now, the event organiser, announced on May 1 that RightsCon had been cancelled after Chinese officials reportedly pressured the Zambian government over the attendance of Taiwanese civil society participants. In its statement, Access Now called the interference a violation of fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly and association and an infringement on freedom of expression and civic space affecting the entire RightsCon community.
The dispute reflects the larger, longstanding disagreement over Taiwan’s status. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China, a position embedded in its policies and public statements. Taiwan, however, operates with its own government, military, and economy and asserts a separate identity.
Historically, China’s claim traces back centuries: the Qing Dynasty annexed Taiwan in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalists, but the island remained a peripheral region under limited Qing administration. In 1895 the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, and Taiwan remained a Japanese colony for five decades. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Taiwan was placed under Chinese control, though the transfer of sovereignty was never formally finalised.
The Chinese Civil War culminated in 1949 with the founding of the People’s Republic of China on the mainland and the retreat of the Republic of China government to Taiwan, creating competing sovereignty claims. Despite functioning as a de facto independent state, Taiwan has refrained from a formal declaration of independence to avoid the risk of military confrontation with China.
This report is based on coverage by the Central News Agency (CNA) and ANI.
