China pressured Zambia to cancel RightsCon, the world's largest digital rights conference, after officials demanded organizers exclude Taiwanese participants, Access Now confirmed.
The conference, scheduled for June in Lusaka, was set to bring together thousands of activists, technologists, and policymakers. Access Now said Zambian officials made the exclusion demand a condition for the event to proceed. When organizers refused, the government withdrew support and the event was canceled.
This marks a rare public acknowledgment of how far Beijing will go to isolate Taiwan on the global stage. RightsCon draws participants from nearly 100 countries, making it a high-profile platform. China's willingness to scuttle a major gathering over one country's representation signals a broader strategy of leveraging economic and diplomatic pressure to enforce its One China policy.
The cancellation leaves a significant gap in the digital rights calendar and raises questions about whether governments will increasingly condition event hosting on political compliance. Access Now said it is seeking an alternative host.