The International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, announced the awarding of the 2020 John McCain Public Service Leadership Award to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. The Chinese Communist Party authorities protested and demanded that the “decision” be “immediately rescinded.
The podium at the Halifax International Security Forum’s 2013 annual meeting
The Halifax Forum Twitter account announced Tsai’s award in a video broadcast on the evening of May 3 (EDT), calling her “the strongest female politician in the Chinese-speaking world” for helping Taiwan fight Beijing’s military coercion and international isolation. The forum also noted Taiwan’s success in containing the Newcastle pneumonia epidemic during her tenure.
Tsai tweeted on May 4, “Honored to receive the @HFXforum John McCain Public Service Leadership Award. The award belongs to Taiwan and we are determined to continue to defend our hard-won democracy to carry on Senator McCain’s legacy.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, Beijing time, the Chinese Embassy in Canada urged the forum to “fully recognize the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan issue” and to immediately rescind the award decision.
The McCain Public Service Award is named for the late U.S. Senator John McCain.
The award was presented in 2019 to a Hong Kong protester who fought for civil rights.
The Halifax International Security Forum is scheduled to hold its 13th annual conference in Halifax, Canada, from Nov. 19 to 21 this year, where the John McCain Public Service Leadership Award will be presented. It will be interesting to see if Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen will be there to receive the award.
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