Australia’s public broadcaster ABC reported that representatives from Taiwan’s office in Australia attended the governing Australian Labor Party’s national conference as observers. Chinese diplomats reportedly objected to their presence and asked Labor National Secretary Paul Erickson to remove the Taiwanese representatives. Erickson rejected the request, stating that the delegation had the right to attend as observers. Chinese diplomats subsequently walked out of the conference, a move that several diplomats and Labor delegates interpreted as a protest.
Mark Harrison, a China specialist at the University of Tasmania, said the Labor Party, as a political party rather than a government institution, is not bound by Australia’s One China policy. Given the close and complementary trade relationship between Australia and Taiwan, it was entirely appropriate to invite Taiwan to observe the conference.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 24, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202607240048.aspx