China fumes as Ukrainian parliament establishes pro-Taiwan group

A diplomatic dispute is brewing between China and Ukraine as Beijing is fuming over Ukrainian parliament’s plan to establish a pro-Taiwan group–“Taiwan Friendship Group”, media reports said.

On August 17, the Ukrainian parliament launched the group, which is led by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Oleksandr Merezhko and consists of 15 lawmakers, two-thirds of whom belong to the ruling party.

Unseated over the formation of this pro-Taiwan group, Beijing lodged a protest at the Ukrainian embassy in China, last week, reported Taiwan Times.

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues for 188 days, Ukrainian lawmaker Inna Sovsun said that Beijing is perturbed that Kyiv’s defense against Russia could become a model for Taiwanese resistance against China.

Merezhko was quoted as saying that China is “trying to dictate what a foreign parliament should do.” The diplomat noted that Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong refused to meet with him and his colleagues in March when they tried to solicit China’s support for humanitarian corridors amid Russia’s invasion of the nation, said the media portal citing the Newsweek magazine reported.

In a similar response, Ukrainian lawmaker Sovsun turned down a request to meet with Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Fan Xianrong prior to the initiation of the group.

China’s indifference to Ukraine motivated the parliament to set up the group, the lawmaker added. The biggest concern for Beijing is the similarity between Ukraine and Taiwan, as they are “two smaller countries fighting against colonialism,” she was quoted as saying.

She said that group members “coordinated the creation of the group through different layers of government” so as not to cause trouble for the executive.

According to analysts, the Ukrainian government is hesitant to support Taiwan publicly because it does not want to see China taking Russia’s side in the war.

Tensions between US and China have also been heightened following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-governed island outrightly defying pressure from Beijing.