RightsCon Postpones Zambia Conference as China Presses to Bar Taiwan Delegates
Updated
Updated · The Interpreter · May 20
RightsCon Postpones Zambia Conference as China Presses to Bar Taiwan Delegates
2 articles · Updated · The Interpreter · May 20
April’s RightsCon meeting in Zambia was abruptly postponed after organizers said Zambian officials relayed Chinese objections to Taiwanese civil society participants.
Organizers were told Taiwanese representatives would need to be excluded and some topics moderated for the digital-rights conference to proceed, extending pressure beyond formal diplomacy into civic space.
The dispute fits a broader pattern of Beijing using political and economic leverage in Africa to enforce its One China policy, including pressure around Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s recent Eswatini visit.
Eswatini—Taiwan’s last diplomatic partner in Africa—was the only African country excluded from China’s expanded zero-tariff policy, underscoring the costs for states that resist Beijing’s preferences.
The episode highlights how China’s influence in Africa is shifting from infrastructure and trade toward shaping diplomatic behavior, public debate and security ties; Africa’s trade deficit with China reached about $102 billion last year.
With abuse allegations at its Eswatini projects, is Taiwan's democratic diplomacy being undermined from within?
How can African nations leverage the China-Taiwan rivalry for their own benefit, instead of just choosing a side?
When a rights conference is cancelled under foreign pressure, what does this signal for the future of global civil society?
RightsCon 2026 in Zambia Cancelled Under Chinese Pressure: Implications for Digital Rights, African Civic Space, and Taiwan’s Exclusion
Overview
In early May 2026, the RightsCon summit in Lusaka, Zambia was abruptly canceled, following Amnesty International’s announcement of its 'postponement.' The event was set to take place at a venue donated by China, and this, combined with the previous year’s summit being held in Taipei and opened by Taiwan’s vice-president, highlighted sensitive geopolitical tensions involving China’s stance on Taiwan. The cancellation not only halted a major global forum for digital rights but also underscored how such geopolitical pressures can erode civic space and limit opportunities for international cooperation on technology governance.