Taiwan Faces Increased Chinese Pressure Amid Global Diplomatic Tensions
WHO:
NPR - Lin Chia-Lung, Taiwan's foreign minister
NPR - Korir Sing'oei, Principal Secretary of Kenya's Foreign Ministry
ABC News World - Taiwanese scholars and delegates
WHAT:
NPR - Lin Chia-Lung criticized Kenya's actions, stating, "Kenya's obstruction of our delegates from attending the meeting is absolutely wrong, and we strongly condemn and protest against it."
NPR - Kenya's Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei stated, "Any person purporting to hold a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily not be allowed through our borders for lacking proper documentation and would not in any event be part of a formal state meeting convened by Kenya government."
NPR - Taiwan's foreign minister stated that Chinese pressure on other countries to limit Taiwan's access to international events has become "the new normal."
NPR - Two Taiwanese delegates were denied access to the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, and were detained for over 20 hours.
NPR - The Taiwanese delegates' passports and mobile phones were confiscated.
NPR - The rest of the Taiwanese delegation withdrew from the conference following the incident.
NPR - Kenya's foreign policy "recognizes only one China," according to Korir Sing'oei.
WHERE:
NPR - The annual oceans conference is being held in Mombasa, Kenya, which is the first time Africa is hosting this event.
NPR - The incident occurred in Kenya, specifically at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa.
NPR - Taiwan is described as a self-ruled democracy.
WHEN:
NPR - The incident involving the Taiwanese delegates occurred recently, with no specific date provided.
NPR - Taiwan's president postponed a planned visit to Eswatini in April due to pressure from China.
WHY:
NPR - Lin Chia-Lung mentioned that "Some Global South countries are manipulated by the Chinese government in every way," indicating the influence of China on developing nations regarding Taiwan's representation.
NPR - Taiwan blames China for pressuring the Kenyan government to deny entry to Taiwanese scholars.
NPR - China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not renounced the use of force to annex it.
HOW:
NPR - China has ramped up a campaign to pressure other countries to limit Taiwanese representation in international events.
NPR - Kenya's decision to deny access was justified by stating that any person holding a Taiwanese passport would not be allowed through their borders for lacking proper documentation.
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 08:35 UTC)
Lin Chia-Lung has strongly condemned Kenya's actions, stating that the obstruction of Taiwanese delegates from attending the annual oceans conference in Mombasa is absolutely wrong. In response, Kenya's Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei emphasized that individuals with Taiwanese passports would not be permitted entry due to lacking proper documentation and would not be part of any formal state meeting. Lin also pointed out that some Global South countries are being manipulated by the Chinese government, highlighting the influence China has on developing nations concerning Taiwan's representation.
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(UPDATED June 18, 2026 06:42 UTC)
Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-Lung, has stated that Chinese pressure on other countries to limit Taiwan's access to international events has become "the new normal," following an incident where two Taiwanese delegates were denied entry to the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, and detained for over 20 hours. Their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, leading the rest of the Taiwanese delegation to withdraw from the conference, while Kenya's Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing'oei, emphasized that the country's foreign policy "recognizes only one China." Taiwan blames China for pressuring Kenya to deny access, as China views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has intensified efforts to restrict Taiwanese representation globally.