Taipei: Liberal International (LI), a global alliance of liberal and progressive democratic political parties, has adopted an emergency resolution condemning China for what it describes as “transnational repression” targeting Taiwanese.
According to Focus Taiwan, Fan Yun, a lawmaker from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), announced on Facebook that the resolution passed with overwhelming support. LI, which includes over 120 member parties and affiliates in more than 60 countries, expressed deep concern over China’s “baseless charges of ‘separatism'” against DPP lawmaker Puma Shen. The resolution also criticized Chinese state media’s call for his pursuit through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) or other judicial mutual-assistance mechanisms.
The resolution argues that these actions violate fundamental human rights and represent a serious escalation against an elected representative of a democratic society. Fan emphasized that the text “reaffirms that the PRC holds no legal authority over the people of Taiwan” and that China’s attempts to impose jurisdiction “constitute a clear violation of international human rights norms.”
LI condemned the PRC’s ongoing use of transnational repression and urged member parties and governments to strengthen legal and institutional protections for individuals targeted by such practices. It also called on members to resist the PRC’s political coercion aimed at silencing Taiwanese voices and affirmed support for Taiwan’s “democratic resilience.”
The resolution encourages the development of international mechanisms to monitor and respond to transnational repression. It also called on the international community to uphold a rules-based international order and peaceful diplomacy regarding Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, urging multilateral efforts to clarify the legal scope of United Nations Resolution 2758 to allow Taiwan’s participation in appropriate international organizations without altering the status quo.
In a separate post on the social media platform Threads, Shen wrote: “My battlefield is not only in Taiwan.” The DPP lawmaker noted that LI delegates introduced a key change during deliberations, insisting that the resolution title explicitly state that the repression targets “Taiwanese Nationals.” Shen highlighted that this wording recognizes Taiwan’s “subjectivity” and emphasized the distinction of non-subordination in sovereignty in response to China’s actions.
In late October, China’s Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau declared Shen wanted for crimes of “separatism” for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” On Nov. 9, China Central Television (CCTV News) aired a segment suggesting that INTERPOL should pursue Shen.