Self-Censorship Not the Way Forward on Beijing: Taiwan Diplomat

A Taiwanese diplomat has called on Australian institutions and public figures not to self-censor to appease an aggressive Beijing that seeks to stake its claim over the democratic island. “Both Taiwan and Australia are countries that uphold democracy and freedom,” William Hou-Lu Fan, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane, told The Epoch Times. The diplomat said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has spent years exerting its influence on local lawmakers and officials to keep quiet when it comes to engaging with Taiwan. However, he warned that complying with these demands only encourages the CCP to shut down further criticism of the regime....