Vice President Annette Lu made the plea while receiving a parliamentarian delegation from Italy.

“Under pressure from China, many countries refuse visit by Taiwan’s president, vice president, premier, foreign minister and defense minister. This is deprivation of these five leaders’ human rights,” Lu said.

Italy does not recognize Taiwan but allowed Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian’s plane to land in Rome in 2005 so that Chen could attend Pope John Paul II’s funeral.

Taiwan is recognized by only 24 mostly-small nations — half of them in Latin American and five in Africa.

China is recognized by 170 countries and has warned them not to launch formal contacts with Taiwan, including receiving Taiwan leaders or granting them transit stops.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and fears that Taiwan leaders would use visits to — or transits through — China’s allies to promote Taiwan independence.

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