Taiwan claims China pressured Kenya to deport its delegates

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Kenya found itself embroiled in a diplomatic spat with Taiwan yesterday after the detention of delegates from the island who were scheduled to attend the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties.

Yesterday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted in the international press saying that its scholars were detained by Kenyan authorities for 20 hours and their passports and mobile phones confiscated.

"The barbaric acts of confiscating passports and mobile phones and restricting personal and communication freedoms violate human rights and international norms,” states a statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Taiwan said Kenya succumbed to pressure from China to detain the two delegation members from its Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) who planned to attend the conference in Mombasa.

Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), a government body in charge of marine-related policies, also said the visas were revoked at the last minute and described the incident as “barbaric obstruction”.

OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling said “political interference yields no benefit for ocean governance” at a time when “the world’s ocean needs deeper and wider cooperation”.

However, Kenya's Ministry of Affairs defended its decision to deport the Taiwan representatives, citing 'one China'. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, claims independence from the People's Republic of China.

“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 the Kenyan government,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei.

The PS said that “If by dint of eTA, authorisation has been issued, it represents the system’s error on this issue (the case of the Taiwan delegates). In the event such a passport holder would not be part of a formal state meeting convened by the Kenyan government."

Our Ocean Conference is a major global summit launched in 2014 by the U.S., which enjoys a robust unofficial relationship with Taiwan. Washington does not, however, recognise Taiwan’s independence.

It brings together governments, businesses, and scientists to pledge measurable commitments and financial investments toward protecting marine environments and promoting sustainable oceans.

However, there are 12 countries that recognise Taiwan as an independent state from China, which claims Taipei as part of an inalienable part of Beijing’s territory.