China pressure blamed for over 20-hour detention of Taiwanese academics in Kenya

China pressure blamed for over 20-hour detention of Taiwanese academics in Kenya

2026-06-17

Members of Taiwan’s delegation attending the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Kenya were jailed at the nation’s airport for over 20 hours, and their mobile phones and passports were confiscated-- all owing to Beijing’s pressure on Nairobi. The word “Taiwan” was also deleted from the event’s registration system. Following the incident, the Ocean Affairs Council decided to withdraw from this year’s conference. Let’s find out more.

The 11th Our Ocean Conference has been marred by allegations that Kenya, the host country this year, unreasonably obstructed the participation of the Taiwan delegation.

Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling took to social media to voice her outrage in a post titled "OOC Tarnished." She slammed the actions as "brutal," noting that not only was the option for "Taiwan" removed from the registration system, but entry permits for two delegates were also abruptly revoked. Furthermore, Taiwan’s delegation members from academia were detained at the airport, with their cell phones and passports confiscated in a virtual house arrest, although, fortunately, they have since been able to return to Taiwan. Observers have pointed the finger directly at pressure from China.

Chen Kuan-ting
Legislator (DPP)
We deeply regret this. We hope that if China wants cross-strait relations to ease, then such petty actions will be unnecessary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged stern protests with China and Kenya. The Ocean Affairs Council and the Mainland Affairs Council also issued statements. The former condemned political interference in international maritime cooperation platforms and called on the international community to safeguard an open and fair space for Taiwan to hold exchanges. The Mainland Affairs Council’s statement strongly condemned the CCP’s pressure that obstructed Taiwan’s participation, stating that the people of Taiwan will never yield.

Chen Kuan-ting
Legislator (DPP)
In Uganda, Kenya, and other parts of East Africa, at the least we can see that China’s investment in water conservation facilities, various infrastructure and telecommunications facilities is enormous. Therefore, local leaderships have very deep ties with the CCP.

Kenya, with its capital Nairobi, is a financial center in East Africa. The ruling party is lambasting the East African nation for being China’s political henchman. The incident also confirms that China’s aggressive diplomatic bullying is intensifying.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#crossstrait #Taiwan #OOC #ocean #international #kenya

肯亞主辦"海洋大會" 台灣代表團遭拒入境.留置

2026-06-17

第11屆「我們的海洋大會」（Our Ocean Conference， OOC）於肯亞舉行，台灣代表團卻在主辦國遭遇政治打壓，包括報名系統中"台灣"被無預警移除，我國代表入境許可被臨時取消，甚至有團員入境後遭扣護照、手機，直接關押在機場帶有鐵柵欄的留置室超過20小時。

第11屆「我們的海洋大會」，爆出今年主辦國肯亞，無理阻撓台灣代表團參加。

海委會主委管碧玲在社群以"OOC蒙塵"為題，氣憤發聲，不但報名系統中，"台灣"選項被移除，海委會兩名官員，原本許可入境突然遭取消，怒轟粗暴。甚至有學者代表，在機場被留置，扣押手機、護照，形同軟禁，好在已平安返台。外界直指，中國施壓。

[[立委(民) 陳冠廷]]
“我們非常遺憾，我們希望說如果中國希望兩岸關係能夠和緩的話，那這樣的小動作大可不必。”

外交部向中國和肯亞表達強烈抗議，海委會與陸委會也接連發聲明，海委會譴責政治干預國際海洋合作平台，呼籲國際社會守護台灣國際交流開放與公平空間。陸委會聲明指出，嚴厲譴責中共施壓阻撓我國與會，台灣人民絕不會屈服。

[[立委(民)陳冠廷]]
“我們至少在烏干達、肯亞，東非的區域，我們都可以看到說中國在他的水利設施，在各種基礎設施電信設施他的投資是非常龐大的，所以包含當地的各個領導階層，其實是跟中共的聯繫是非常深的。”

肯亞及其首都奈洛比是東非的金融中心，綠營批評，卻當地為中國的政治打手，也再次應證中國變本加厲的霸凌外交。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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