cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/55588403
An international fracas involving Chinese diplomats has erupted on the sidelines of the Labor Party’s National Conference in Adelaide after The Nightly this week revealed a Taiwanese representative had been invited to the event.
The Nightly on Tuesday detailed how a member of Taiwan’s de facto embassy had been granted permission to attend the conference as an “observer” for the first time in years, along with diplomats from other embassies including the United States and China.
Chinese officials, who have long pressured the Australian government to limit interactions with Taiwan, have reacted furiously to the move claiming it is in breach of the government’s long-standing One China policy.
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According to witnesses the veteran ALP operative calmly explained to the Chinese delegation that the conference was taking part in a democratic country, and the Taiwanese representative was a “general observer” and did not have a diplomatic pass.
Mr Erickson, who is credited as one of the key masterminds behind Labor’s election wins in 2022 and 2025 then made it clear that the member of Taiwan’s TECO would be allowed to remain at the conference.
Sources claim that organisers have this year reduced the number of embassy representatives allowed to attend the ALP gathering because of the large presence of Chinese diplomats who attended the 2023 event.
The Labor Party earlier confirmed that other international delegates, including representatives from the UK Labour Party, would also attend this year but as observers rather than formal conference speakers.
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Last month The West Australian revealed Chinese officials had been accused of harassing and intimidating pro-democracy activists who gathered in Perth for a nighttime vigil to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Organisers of the June 4 event, claim the alleged foreign interference by the local consulate even included the family of one participant being threatened by police back in China.
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why is “China is asshole” always a valid statement?
