NAIROBI, June 17 (Reuters) - Kenya has barred delegates from Taiwan from attending an international conference on oceans in the east African country under pressure from China, Taiwan's government said.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and opposes any treatment of the island as a sovereign state. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Visas issued to Taiwanese scientists were revoked at the last minute, the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), a Taiwan government agency, said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, adding that some participants had their passports and phones confiscated for more than 20 hours.
Kenya's foreign ministry officials and the event organisers did not respond to requests for comment.
"They (Kenyan authorities) insisted on unilaterally distorting their so-called interpretation of "One China," expanding it without limit to the point of blocking our people from attending the meeting," Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, told reporters in Taipei on Wednesday.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and opposes any treatment of the island as a sovereign state. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Visas issued to Taiwanese scientists were revoked at the last minute, the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), a Taiwan government agency, said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, adding that some participants had their passports and phones confiscated for more than 20 hours.
Kenya's foreign ministry officials and the event organisers did not respond to requests for comment.
"They (Kenyan authorities) insisted on unilaterally distorting their so-called interpretation of "One China," expanding it without limit to the point of blocking our people from attending the meeting," Taiwan's foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, told reporters in Taipei on Wednesday.
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