The unannounced gathering of about 60 parliamentarians from Europe, Asia, and Africa at Taiwan's sweeping hilltop diplomatic mansion in Washington - called Twin Oaks - is the latest move in Taipei's efforts to persuade fellow democracies to stand against China, Reuters reported.
In Beijing on Wednesday, China responded that striving for Taiwanese independence and separatism was "a dead end", however.
The group, consisting of members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) meeting this week in Washington, is expected to sign a pledge to push their governments to adopt "greater deterrence against military or other coercive" actions by the People's Republic of China (PRC) against Taiwan, according to a draft seen by Reuters.
"We will campaign to ensure our governments signal to the PRC that military aggression towards Taiwan will cost Beijing dearly," the draft read.
"Economic and political measures, including meaningful sanctions, should be considered to deter military escalation, and to ensure trade and other exchanges with Taiwan can continue unimpeded."
Their countries' ties to Taiwan were not Beijing's to determine, the draft added, and they would push to increase mutual visits by lawmakers.
Sources familiar with the issue have told Reuters that Washington is considering sanctions against China to deter it from invading Taiwan, with the European Union facing diplomatic pressure from Taipei to do the same.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory under the One China Policy and has accused Washington of violating its pledge not to promote political relations with Taiwan, but Washington claims it has not the authority to ban its congressmen from traveling to Taiwan.
ZZ/PR
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