Organisers of a global human rights conference have cancelled the event in Zambia just days before it was set to begin, alleging pressure from China to bar Taiwanese activists.
New York-based advocacy group Access Now, which hosts the annual RightsCon summit, said Friday it decided to call off the gathering after the Zambian government initially announced a postponement.
According to Access Now, Zambian officials indicated that China had raised concerns about the participation of Taiwanese civil society members who planned to attend the event in person. The group said it refused any conditions that would exclude participants from Taiwan.
“We believe foreign interference is the reason RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia,” Access Now said in a statement.
It added that informal messages from multiple sources suggested the government wanted organisers to limit certain topics and block some groups, including Taiwanese participants, from joining both physically and online in order to lift the postponement.
Earlier, Zambian authorities said the conference was delayed to review its themes and ensure they matched the country’s “national values, policy priorities and broader public interest.”
Zambia maintains close political and economic relations with China, particularly through Chinese investments in its mining sector.
RightsCon focuses on human rights in the digital age, covering issues such as internet censorship, surveillance and cyberwarfare. More than 2,600 people were expected to attend in Zambia, with another 1,100 joining online from over 150 countries, organisers said. Last year’s summit was held in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing said the cancellation reflected China’s discomfort with values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch called on Zambian authorities to clarify the reasons behind their decision.
The development comes shortly after Taiwan accused Beijing of blocking a planned visit by its President Lai Ching-te to Eswatini on April 22.
Taiwan said the trip was cancelled after Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, under Chinese pressure, denied overflight permission for Lai’s aircraft. China’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the move, saying it was in line with the “one-China principle.”
China considers self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes any formal ties between Taipei and countries it maintains diplomatic relations with. Beijing holds significant influence across Africa.
In a surprise update on Saturday, Lai said he had arrived in Eswatini after the earlier trip was called off, adding that Taiwan “will never be deterred by external pressures.”