Beijing Says Taiwan Lacks Right to Interpol Membership
A Chinese spokesperson rejected Taiwan's push for Interpol inclusion, citing the one-China principle.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in International Relations
Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said Taiwan does not have the right to become an Interpol member, responding to a call by Democratic Progressive Party authorities for international support. Interpol, an intergovernmental police cooperation body with 196 member countries, has excluded Taiwan for decades.
Why it matters
The dispute reflects the longstanding contest over Taiwan's international status, with Beijing insisting that participation in international bodies must accord with the one-China principle. Taiwan's police authorities maintain information-sharing channels with Interpol National Central Bureaus in member countries, a practical arrangement that sits alongside the membership question.
Interpol has 196 member countries, each hosting a National Central Bureau, and Taiwan has been excluded for decades. The source does not say whether Interpol has taken any position on the current call for Taiwan's inclusion.
The players
Zhu Fenglian
Spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council, who delivered the statement at the press conference.
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization, an intergovernmental body with 196 member countries that facilitates police cooperation across borders.
The details
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian made the remarks at a regular press conference in Beijing in response to a media query about the DPP authorities' call for international support. Beijing stated that Taiwan's participation in international organizations must accord with the one-China principle, and said the DPP's pursuit of "Taiwan independence" through provocations will inevitably fail.
Timeline
1949: The defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan as the People's Republic of China was founded under CPC leadership.
Nov. 4, 2026: Zhu Fenglian made the Interpol remarks at a press conference.
Roadmap
The exclusion of Taiwan from Interpol traces back to the 1949 retreat of the KMT to Taiwan after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The current dispute extends that unresolved division into international police cooperation, where Beijing's one-China principle continues to limit Taiwan's formal participation.
For readers following cross-border policing, Taiwan's police channels with Interpol National Central Bureaus remain the practical route for information sharing, even without formal membership. The formal membership question determines whether Taiwan has an official seat in Interpol's governing structures.
The takeaway
Formal membership and practical cooperation are separate questions, and the Interpol dispute shows how the one-China principle shapes both. Readers should track whether either side moves the question beyond the current rhetorical exchange.
Further reading
For more background on how these disputes play out, see International Relations.
