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Taiwan Weighs Options After Diplomatic Allies Switch Allegiance
COLLECTED BY Arthur Bot - NEEDS EDITING
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 [aljazeera.com], which broke with Taiwan on September 16 ending a 36-year diplomatic relationship.
Four days later, it was Kiribati [aljazeera.com]. 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.
But with Taiwan, now one of Asia's most vibrant democracies, the mainland might have inadvertently helped strengthen Tsai's hand.
"If Tsai's focus is about how China is squeezing out Taiwan's space, that would appeal to her base and likely to undecided voters as well."
The Republic of China, Taiwan's official name, was originally founded in 1912 in mainland China. But after being defeated by the communists in the civil war in 1949, its nationalist leaders relocated to Taiwan, where they set themselves up in power.
Initially, they held onto China's seat at the United Nations, but as the mainland's relationship with the rest of the world normalised, countries began to recognise China instead of Taiwan. In 1971, the island lost its UN seat to Beijing, prompting many nations to switch allegiances too.
Taiwan moved to cultivate more informal links - generally around trade, culture and military issues - setting up offices in virtually every major city around the world, including Washington and Tokyo, which function as embassies in all but name.
But its formal allies have remained important to Taiwan because the government in Beijing insists the island is part of China and should be retaken - by force, if necessary. In China's view, the island has no right to establish state-to-state relations.
Following this month's losses, Taipei promised to "resolutely maintain relations" with its allies and "strengthen ties with friendly democratic countries."
She has rejected the "one China" principle and shown support for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters.
Political rival Han Kuo-yu of the pro-China Kuomintang (KMT), meanwhile, has blamed Tsai for a failure of leadership over the loss of diplomatic allies.
"As always, President Tsai blamed mainland China for her diplomatic meltdown … But empty words will not bring Taiwan out of its diplomatic quandary," Han said in an official statement on September 20.
The Kuomintang party was founded by the nationalists.
China's more assertive approach to Taiwan has also prompted a response from democratic allies.
In the Solomon Islands, some politicians lamented the change in allegiance but said the Pacific island would remain a friend of Taiwan.
'Sogavare and his MPs are a minority of the vast majority of Solomon Islanders who hold Taiwan dear," Matthew C Wale, the country's opposition leader told Al Jazeera.
The Marshall Islands also showed its support on Wednesday, adopting a resolution to show its "profound appreciation to the people and government of Taiwan", saying it would maintain its diplomatic ties with the island.
"We've all seen China's attempts to expand its territory and footprint, and this should be of great concern to democratic countries," President Hilda Heine said.
