In addition to stealing Taiwan's allies and thwarting the nation's attempts to participate in international organizations, China attempts to ensure that Taiwan is practically invisible.
Late last month, Malawi yielded to the old carrot-and-stick routine and abandoned 42 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of ties with China. Within days, the Malawian minister responsible for brokering the deal has reportedly fled the country with millions of yuan meant as a "sweetener" for his president.
In such times of crisis, Taipei routinely berates Beijing for practicing "checkbook diplomacy." But the reality is that Taiwan's "financial aid" simply can't compete. As a result, Taiwan has lost nine diplomatic allies in eight years.
And yet, China is still not satisfied and never misses an opportunity to belittle Taiwan on the world stage. The most recent example of this occurred during the Women's World Cup of Golf this week at Sun City, South Africa, where Taiwan's Wei Yun-jye (
Together with the "autonomous regions" of Xinjiang and Tibet, Taiwan is claimed by China, which insists that no other country should meddle in its "domestic affairs."
In this light, it is odd that China has asked the US to condemn Taiwan's referendums on UN membership. It is even stranger that Washington has happily obliged, with everyone from American Institute in Taiwan Director Stephen Young to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying the plebiscites are unnecessary, provocative and of no real benefit.
Despite Taiwan's dutiful attempts to play a responsible role in the world, it seems most countries are happy to humor China by not publicly contradicting its claim to Taiwan. It is sad that so many nations lack the courage to do the right thing.
In his New Year address last month, President Chen Shui-bian (
In view of this imminent threat, it is remarkable that Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
Yes, increased trade with China may boost the economy. But that does not mean that the threat posed by China should be laughed off. And yet that is the message being sent by the country's presidential candidates, notwithstanding Ma's recent lecture on boosting the military.
Hsieh may be trying to neutralize Ma's "it's the economy, stupid" argument, but that makes his actions only marginally more forgivable.
If this is the mindset of the men who are competing to lead this country, then China doesn't need missiles to annex Taiwan: All it needs is patience.
China has not been a top-tier issue for much of the second Trump administration. Instead, Trump has focused considerable energy on Ukraine, Israel, Iran, and defending America’s borders. At home, Trump has been busy passing an overhaul to America’s tax system, deporting unlawful immigrants, and targeting his political enemies. More recently, he has been consumed by the fallout of a political scandal involving his past relationship with a disgraced sex offender. When the administration has focused on China, there has not been a consistent throughline in its approach or its public statements. This lack of overarching narrative likely reflects a combination
Behind the gloating, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) must be letting out a big sigh of relief. Its powerful party machine saved the day, but it took that much effort just to survive a challenge mounted by a humble group of active citizens, and in areas where the KMT is historically strong. On the other hand, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must now realize how toxic a brand it has become to many voters. The campaigners’ amateurism is what made them feel valid and authentic, but when the DPP belatedly inserted itself into the campaign, it did more harm than good. The
For nearly eight decades, Taiwan has provided a home for, and shielded and nurtured, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). After losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the KMT fled to Taiwan, bringing with it hundreds of thousands of soldiers, along with people who would go on to become public servants and educators. The party settled and prospered in Taiwan, and it developed and governed the nation. Taiwan gave the party a second chance. It was Taiwanese who rebuilt order from the ruins of war, through their own sweat and tears. It was Taiwanese who joined forces with democratic activists
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) held a news conference to celebrate his party’s success in surviving Saturday’s mass recall vote, shortly after the final results were confirmed. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would have much preferred a different result, it was not a defeat for the DPP in the same sense that it was a victory for the KMT: Only KMT legislators were facing recalls. That alone should have given Chu cause to reflect, acknowledge any fault, or perhaps even consider apologizing to his party and the nation. However, based on his speech, Chu showed
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