Chinese Embassy Pressures Montenegro Newspaper
The Chinese Embassy in Montenegro demanded that the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti remove an interview with Taiwan representative to Hungary Liu Shih-chung on March 11, 2024, one day after its publication. The interview, published March 10, covered Taiwan’s democratic development, the impact of the Russo-Ukraine War on the Taiwan Strait, and criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the Balkans, alleging that it had caused debt crises and encouraged corruption. Vijesti rejected the embassy’s request, stating it is an independent and free news outlet and that the content “cannot be removed.” The incident represents direct Chinese official pressure on foreign media to censor content related to Taiwan.