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Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lee has admitted the island came under diplomatic siege from mainland China in 2017, with only 20 countries now keeping consular representatives in the increasingly isolated republic.
Most of these are thinly populated island nations in Central America, the Caribbean and South Pacific, such as Dominica, Saint Lucia, the Marshall Islands, Paraguay, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
But Lee insisted in a Lunar New Year video uploaded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that his diplomats would keep battling on.
“Although our diplomatic situation is fraught with challenges, our diplomats are neither frustrated nor lax.… They fight tirelessly for our nation’s dignity and interests, and to expand our nation’s international presence,” he said.
Lee pointed to the impressive list of international cooperation and humanitarian aid projects that Taiwan undertook worldwide in 2017, as well as President Tsai Ing-wen’s visits to seven diplomatic allies in Central America and the Pacific in November.
There were more setbacks in 2017, notably with Panama’s decision in June to sever ties and switch its embassy to Beijing. São Tomé and Príncipe in equatorial Africa had established diplomatic relations with China in December 2016 on a promise of generous aid.
In addition, Papua New Guinea, Bahrain, Ecuador and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates asked that Taiwan’s diplomatic missions in their jurisdictions remove all references to “Republic of China” or “Taiwan.” China is even putting pressure on countries that have made the switch. Nigeria ordered that Taiwan move its representative office from the capital Abuja to Lagos and banned all official exchanges with Taipei.
China has stepped up diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai’s staunchly pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won the presidential election in 2016. Her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, of the pro-reunification Kuomintang party, fared a bit better: Beijing is said to have rejected Panama’s overtures at that time to “save Ma’s face.”
Taiwan still has one high-profile European friend in Vatican City, but even that may soon change. Vatican sources have said the Holy See is likely to establish diplomatic relations with China within months as part of a controversial deal on the formal appointment of bishops. It has maintained consular relations with Taiwan for 96 years.
Few expect Taipei’s remaining allies in the Caribbean and Pacific to resist the carrot of Chinese money for much longer. But Taipei does have at least one advantage over Beijing: holders of its passport can get visa waivers and landing permits in 166 countries, including the United States, while mainland Chinese almost invariably face hassles.
About the only place Taiwanese are not welcome is at United Nations buildings, including offices in New York City, Geneva and Bangkok, as the global body does not recognize the republic. And these are the places where Taipei most needs to have its views heard.
The Holy See has no business being involved in politics. It is inexplicable why it recognise Taiwan in the first place.
It does not matter what Trump does and how hard he tries, manufacturing will not come back. Instead it just goes to another country if the policy can hold for 10 years or more. Until the day where the level of living in the US has dropped as low as other countries, manufacturing will not come back.
One thing is for sure, he will make Americans’ life harder and will be a long-term president.
The Vatican recognized Taiwan because Chinese communism is the enemy of the free world and Christian ethics. We will see what happens. Poor Chinese Christians are the hostages of their own government – they should move to free Taiwan where they will be welcomed and treated with respect. It is time for reform in China and removal of the parasitic one-party state that stops the nation being taken seriously by the world. Chinese people should have more self-respect than allow communist rule to continue. Make China great again!
This is a purely speculative article as there is no offical statement from the Vatican that a future agreement on the appointment of bishops in China has any effect on diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Vatican. Of course, communist-backed papers want to make you believe the opposite, but this is mainly propaganda to further put pressure on Taiwan. Not sure why the Asian Times is giving into this kind of speculation.
LOL. Why kill the messenger? The Vatican has been known to try to establish diplomatic ties with China for more than two decades, all the maintream media has reported those efforts over the years and always expect that one result will be the Vatican breaking ties with Taiwan. Blaming Asian Times for reporting this is really stupid.
Lady your comment is really REALLY stupid. Taiwan has always makes it very difficult for any kind of mainland Chinese to migrate to the island, especially this current anti-China administration. Being Chirstian is not going to get any advantage there. Only some 4-5 percent of people in Taiwan are Christian, there are far more Christians in mainland China than the entire population of Taiwan. No one should expect Taiwan people to make special accomodation for mainland Christians, period. Take account of some basic facts before spewing uninformed nonsense.
Sarah Sturgis don’t try to reason with people like them. Just take a look at their profiles and you know why they are so dead set on their believes
I see it in the same light as you do. I mean just take a look at the profile of the other commenters and you know what kind of people are back this site. Cheers
Sarah Sturgis. I agree with Ahson. Please, add me to your "filth list".
Haav Bline There are more xtians on the mainland, but at least the real Catholics under Rome are persecuted, which can’t be said of Taiwan
Soenke Franzen Real Christians? You decide that? I thought the Catholic Church decides on who the real Catholics are?
Julia Scherer You should expect many are pro China because this is Asia, not the West? Maybe Westerners should not meddle all over the world? Look at the mess you created in M East not understanding local cultures, religion and history! You really have one thing to sell, West values & it seems not to work in foreign cultures?
Correction: Dominica switched diplomatic ties to China just over a decade ago.
Low Ngee Kat, it is exactly this pattern of splitting the world into the ‘east’ and the ‘west’ that the Chinese government uses to speak not only for its own interests, but also for that of other Asian nations. This kind of behavior is similar to the cultural imperialism that you criticize in your previous message.
You show little understanding of local cultures, religion and history by using such binary concepts as east-west.
Lol so much about the Vatican nobody knows about, one example, there the biggest shareholders in the Italian arms company Pietro Beretta, so for them wars meen big profits and China good partners in future biz
Ken, you are clearly ignorant pf Christ’s teachings.
Haav Bline The Vatican knows it can better protect Christians by drawing closer to China – even though this may mean the undermining of its moral standards by associating itself with atheists, heretics, and the botched. That is what Christ’s church does – it goes to the worst, and transforms them into better people – and BOY is China hungry for a spiritual reawakenig after so many years of ideological depavity.
So does Satan.