TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned Chinese pressure on Belgium, which led to the removal of Taiwan’s national flag from its representative office in Brussels.

The incident in late 2022 was revealed recently in the “China Targets” series of reports by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The reports were published in Belgian media, including the newspapers Le Soir and De Tijd, and the news magazine Knack.

Pressure from China on Belgium’s foreign ministry resulted in the Taiwanese flag being removed in early 2023, per CNA. In a separate incident, the Brussels Book Fair canceled its plans to invite Taiwan as the special guest country for its 2024 edition amid concern about China’s reaction.

In a statement Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned China’s actions. Beijing has been restricting Taiwan’s international space, freedom, and democracy using any means possible, the ministry said.

Taiwan called on the international community to take concrete steps against China’s attempts to unilaterally change the rules-based order and to protect the stability and prosperity of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific.