Premier blames Interpol rejection on China

ROC Central News Agency

2018/10/19 14:42:45

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Premier Lai-Ching-te (賴清德) blamed China on Friday for a decision by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) rejecting a request from Taiwan to attend as an observer the Interpol general assembly in Dubai next month.

Lai was answering questions from reporters on Interpol's decision, made public the previous day by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which voiced "strong dissatisfaction and regret."

China was behind the Interpol's rejection of Taiwan's participation, Lai said, urging people to see China's true face and recognize that it will never stop trying to annex Taiwan.

Asked if Taiwan will continue its efforts to secure an invitation to Interpol's 87th general assembly on Nov. 18, Lai declined to answer but said the government has already received Interpol's formal reply.

Lai criticized China's suppression as "making no sense at all" because Taiwan should not be excluded from global efforts to prevent such crimes as human trafficking, drug smuggling and terrorism.

Tsai Tsan-po (蔡蒼柏), commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), sent a letter to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock in September asking that the CIB be allowed to participate as an observer at the Dubai meeting and play a meaningful role in the organization's activities and operational mechanisms.

(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Elizabeth Hsu)
Enditem/AW