Taiwan quits Kenya ocean summit after delegates were detained under Chinese pressure

On Tuesday, Taiwan officially withdrew from the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, after two of its delegation members were detained by local authorities.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry accused Kenya of seizing the delegates' passports and mobile phones at the direct request of the Chinese government. The delegates, who were officially invited scholars, were reportedly deported despite having valid documentation for the global event. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister described the incident as a "new normal" in which Beijing pressures third countries to aggressively limit Taiwan's international participation.

Taipei is now weighing retaliatory diplomatic measures against Kenya while seeking stronger ties with regional neighbors to counter Chinese coercion.