IPAC Founder and Executive Director Luke de Pulford stated in an interview with the Central News Agency that they do not accept the label of being “anti-China.” This term is used by the Chinese Communist Party to weaken critiques against them. IPAC aims to encourage democratic countries to formulate practical policies towards China, and various parliaments are beginning to see through the true face of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) was founded in June 2020 and has since garnered the participation of parliamentarians from 44 countries, as well as the European Parliament, with over 300 members across different political parties. Pulford explained that IPAC was established to coordinate responses from democratic countries to various policies of the Chinese Communist Party. Despite members holding different views and approaches towards China, reducing IPAC to merely being “anti-China” is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to undermine criticism.
Pulford emphasized that IPAC members deeply respect China, Chinese culture, and the Chinese people. Their opposition is directed towards authoritarianism and government actions, not towards China itself. The mission of IPAC is not to change the behavior of the CCP but to encourage democratic countries to implement more pragmatic policies towards China.
Regarding the need for more practical policies towards China, Pulford noted the inadequacy of current responses to escalating tensions, especially in the context of Beijing’s aggressive strategies. IPAC aims to utilize parliamentary tools to drive dialogue and influence the policy approach of democratic nations towards China.
Despite facing challenges in operating in Africa and the South Pacific, IPAC has experienced rapid growth in membership in Latin America. Pulford humorously commented, “Whenever we lose members in Africa or the South Pacific, we gain 10 members in Latin America,” highlighting the failure of Beijing’s narrative of portraying IPAC as “anti-China.”
In 2024, IPAC held its inaugural annual meeting in Taiwan, passing the Model Resolution on 2758, emphasizing that UN Resolution 2758 should not involve Taiwan, and that the CCP’s attempts to link it with the “One China Principle” are inappropriate. Subsequently, multiple national parliaments passed resolutions echoing the language of the IPAC model resolution.
Pulford mentioned that 12 parliaments have passed similar resolutions, indicating a growing trend. Beijing’s reluctance to mention UN Resolution 2758 shows that they are being dishonest, as the CCP has shifted focus towards manipulating the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling.
The Legislative Yuan of Taiwan officially joined IPAC in 2024, with DPP legislator Fan Yun and MPP legislator Chen Chao-ju serving as co-chairs. This year, DPP legislators Chen Guan-ting, Wang Ting-yu, Chang Ya-lin, and MPP legislators Hsu Chung-shin, Hong Yu-xiang, and Wang An-hsiang have also joined the bipartisan network of IPAC.
Regarding the absence of KMT legislators, Pulford mentioned that the KMT was invited to join IPAC from the beginning, and while there have been communications with KMT legislators, recent years have presented challenges in their participation. Despite these obstacles, IPAC remains hopeful that KMT legislators will engage with the alliance.
Pulford expressed his lack of understanding as to why the KMT is reluctant to join IPAC. He highlighted the importance of having strong international allies such as those within IPAC for Taiwan’s external relations, stating that it is unreasonable for any political party in Taiwan to overlook such valuable partnerships.