President Tsai Ing-wen’s office has admitted for the first time that it has a “contingency plan” ready in case Taiwan loses all of its diplomatic allies. And that day seems to be getting steadily closer.
El Salvador last week became the fifth country to switch recognition to China and pull its official representatives out of Taiwan since Tsai came to office more than two years ago. The others were Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso.
There are now only 17 countries in Taiwan’s camp, and most are small: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay in Latin America; Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; Swaziland in Africa; the Vatican City in Europe; and Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in the Pacific.
Tsai was tipped off about El Salvador’s possible switch months ago when the president was preparing for her state visits to Paraguay and Belize, as well as stopovers in the US, according to Taiwanese papers.
“We have considered all scenarios, including the one you mentioned,” Tsai’s spokesperson said after a reporter asked if the president had contemplated the possibility of being left with no diplomatic allies.
“So we formulated measures for different scenarios, including [El Salvador severing ties] before Tsai’s trip, during her transit stops in the US, during her stays in Paraguay and Belize, as well as after her trip,” he explained.
As it has turned out, the Salvadoran and Chinese foreign ministers made a joint announcement as Tsai was ending her trip on August 20.
Making phone calls to the leaders of remaining allies, notifying the US de facto embassy in Taipei and issuing statements expressing regret over the decision are believed to be part of the “contingency plan” to be used by Taiwan whenever an ally turns against the island.
Taiwanese papers have also reported a “retention plan” that was proposed by Republican senator for Colorado Cory Gardner, who chairs the US Foreign Relations Committee’s Asia subcommittee.
Gardner reportedly met Tsai when the Taiwanese leader stopped over in the US last week to discuss what the US Congress could do to support the self-governing island. It was the second time in three months they had met up, after a discussion in Taipei in May.
Gardner is said to have proposed that the US formulate a strategy aimed at persuading foreign governments to continue supporting diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. This would authorize actions by the US Department of State, including halting aid and foreign military financing, to discourage any decisions “seen as adverse for Taiwan”, the island’s semi-official Central News Agency reported.
Washington accused China of seeking to constrain Taiwan’s international presence after El Salvador switched recognition.
LoL, the more us regime threaten countries, the more countries flocking to China. It’s only a matter of time when us-subservient taiwan separatist collapses.
You keep thinking US has your back. They will throw you under the bus faster then you say ‘shit’. That day is fast approaching….don’t say you have not been warmed.
Nope. Nations accept the bribes, and CPC is the loser
The CPC have very small weapons. Taiwan will be supported by the US, Jap and every other nation in SE Asia that fears the CPC. If Tibet was independent, they’d support Taiwan
Of course they will, just like the CPC. But now the lines are drawn.. The small weapons of the Puny Liberation Navy/Army vrs the Taiwanese, Japs, Koreans (remember nanking ?), Viets (1979 ?) etc, etc.
Winnie Xi Pooh really mucked up by pushing right now (why ? is he weak at home). If he’d have left it for 50yrs, then sure Japs dont breed, Taiwan and Korea would be weaker….
Right now there is a very worried alliance facing you Wumaos.CPC
Gardner wants to penalize any country that recognizes one China policy just like U.S. and UN. Talk about double standard.
Why do you say Taiwan is the separatist? Do you know the whole China was called ROC (known as Taiwan) today? Until 1949 when the communist separated from ROC to setup their PRC. So who separate from who you make it clear.
But I remember China shrinked their balls when they saw the US navy coming into Taiwan during the time when Taiwan had our first presidential election in 1991 and China threaten to attack Taiwan.
China doesn’t know that nobody sides with China about occupying Taiwan. Changing side for money is big deal because money comes first. But sacrificing with China to occupy Taiwan, ha ha ha ha…. China can keep waiting.
Well China is worst. They don’t penalize and don’t warn, they just do it. Like changing Taiwan into Taipei, China without Taiwan agreeing. How about Taiwan change them to Shanghai, Taiwan or Beijing, ROC. Let’s screw up the whole geography just because we feel like it.
Shiau-Way Maggie Lin Well said. At the end of the day no one will support Taiwan because of it’s right to determine it’s own future (re. Munich, Sudentenland & Czechs). But they will support Taiwan because control by the CPC is a horrible alternative.
So Taiwan is a line in the sand that China cannot cross. If the CPC do then they will have access to blue water and can outflank Ko, Jp, Ph and challenge (but not beat) the USA.
It’s just a shame the ROC and nationalists spent their energies in fighting the Japs, while the CPC kept their strength by running away.
Shiau-Way Maggie Lin And we should defend Taiwan’s right to do whatever they want.
Personally if I were Potus, I’d recognise Taiwan as independent and then watch the CPC collapse in impotency. Problem solved.
PS worked offshore Taiwan in 1989, great place and people.
North Korea has nukes; If Taiwan wants to keep their independence the only way to guarantee it would be to have nukes.
Let taiwan make its self determination…after all, who wants to live in a dictatorship of the politburo