Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Thursday September 26 2019, @06:07PM   Printer-friendly
from the in-the-balance dept.

As China's footprint grows, Taiwan wants to keep its few formal allies close while deepening informal links with world.

The first to go was the Solomon Islands, which broke with Taiwan on September 16 ending a 36-year diplomatic relationship.

Four days later, it was Kiribati. The Pacific island nation had established diplomatic relations with Taipei in 2003.

Both countries were wooed by China with offers of development aid and assistance.

"If we give up now, Taiwan's future generations will lose their sovereignty, their freedom, and their democracy; we will lose everything."

In all, seven countries have severed ties with Taiwan since Tsai, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), came to office three years ago. It now has formal diplomatic relations with just 15 nations, including the Vatican.

Some 70 years after China's nationalists fled the mainland to establish their capital in Taipei, the diplomatic tide has now almost completely turned in favour of the communist-led government in Beijing.

Shaohua Hu, professor in government and politics at New York's Wagner College and author of the 2017 book Foreign Policies towards Taiwan, noted that China's efforts to pick off Taiwan's political allies was a political strategy.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 27 2019, @06:11AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 27 2019, @06:11AM (#899459)

    But what is the difference between ROC and PRC? Outside of the ruling class, that is. On first sight they are not that much different. Both have plenty of corruption, both have governments that the people do not control. The countries separated when China was Maoist and socialist, but after so many years the differences are smaller. Taiwan does have people who argue for unification, and one would think that a nation on a small island soon will run out of space. The issue of limited natural resources also comes to mind.

    Historically, Taiwan developed semiconductor manufacturing and software industry earlier than mainland. But now things changed, China has become a leader in manufacturing of every kind. Resource-wise, Taiwan has no future, and reunification is just a matter of time. No need even to pretend to have two systems; the leaders of Taiwan will retain the power on the island, just the positions in the hierarchy will be renamed and written with the mainland's simplified script.

  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday September 28 2019, @03:13AM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday September 28 2019, @03:13AM (#899797) Journal

    Resource-wise, Taiwan has no future, and reunification is just a matter of time.

    Nonsense. One merely needs to look at how shabbily Hong Kong is being treated now to see that no future can better than unification.

    No need even to pretend to have two systems

    Presently, they're two separate countries not just two systems.

  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 29 2019, @12:30PM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday September 29 2019, @12:30PM (#900274) Journal
    I notice you never speak of "on second sight". One big difference is that Taiwan got a lot better. China is still struggling under the chains of the Communist Party.