Kosovo's recent declaration of independence sparked mixed reactions from the international community as well as within Taiwan. While some academics believe the Kosovo case can pave the way for Taiwan to become a normal country, some say Taiwan should not expect to find an ally in Pristina.
Soochow University political science professor Wu Chih-chung (
International politics is largely based on precedents, he said, and Taiwan could certainly take advantage of Kosovo's recent achievement as a justification for its own full statehood.
BUMPY ROAD AHEAD
He said Kosovo had a bumpy road ahead before it will obtain a legitimate international standing because Russia, which sits on the UN's Permanent Security Council, has vowed to block Kosovo from joining the body.
"It is obvious that Taiwan is better equipped to declare independence than Kosovo. But we are being stifled by the international community because no superpower at this point in time is willing to risk entering into a conflict with Beijing over Taiwan," he said.
Without the buttress from major players such as Japan, the US and the EU, it would be difficult for Taiwan to rally support from at least 96 UN member-states, he said.
On the other side of the pendulum, professor of international politics Hu Tzu-ching (胡祖慶) of Tunghai University said Kosovo's victory, or apparent victory, has virtually no impact on Taiwan's struggle for recognition as the US is not about to give the nod to Taiwan statehood any time soon.
"In the case of Kosovo, it is obvious that the rest of the world still follows in the US' footsteps. Most of the countries that have recognized Kosovo did so after the Washington gave its approval," he said.
On Tuesday, two days after Pristina declared independence, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) announced recognition of Kosovo and expressed the nation's wish to forge diplomatic ties with "any countries that uphold the universal principles of freedom and democracy."
When asked about the timing of Taiwan's announcement, Huang, without hesitation, said: "We were waiting for the US to recognize Kosovo first."
Thomas Hung (
"The unity of the Kosovar people in the struggle for democracy is worthy of emulation by the Taiwanese people," he said.
But the problem with offering money or other forms of assistance to Kosovo, Hu said, is that Kosovo would have no choice but to reject Taiwan's gesture under pressure from the international community.
Hu recalled that in 1998, during the administration of former president Lee Teng-hui (
OUTSIDE PRESSURE
Even if Kosovo wanted to take the money, he said, it is highly doubtful that the US, the EU and China would permit Pristina to accept the funds.
"After all, Kosovo's survival will be heavily dependent on its relations with the members of the EU," he said. "Moreover, Kosovo will need the UN peacekeeping mission to quell any violent conflicts that might erupt in the country."
Hu even went on to question the prudence of Taiwan's recognition of Kosovo, saying such a move could incite further uneasiness in the Taiwan Strait.
Wu, however, shares Hung's views, but with the underlying caveat that Taiwan must be guaranteed a certain "political reciprocation" from Pristina.
"If Kosovo takes the money and becomes a UN member, the least it should do is to abstain from voting on any Taiwan-related issues, if it can't support them. That should be the minimum expectation if Kosovo were to accept Taiwan's money," he said.
An essay competition jointly organized by a local writing society and a publisher affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) might have contravened the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. “In this case, the partner organization is clearly an agency under the CCP’s Fujian Provincial Committee,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said at a news briefing in Taipei. “It also involves bringing Taiwanese students to China with all-expenses-paid arrangements to attend award ceremonies and camps,” Liang said. Those two “characteristics” are typically sufficient
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck about 33km off the coast of Hualien City was the "main shock" in a series of quakes in the area, with aftershocks expected over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake shaking most of Taiwan at 6:53pm yesterday, six other earthquakes stronger than a magnitude of 4, starting with a magnitude 5.5 quake at 6:09pm, occurred in the area. CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) confirmed that the quakes were all part of the same series and that the magnitude 5.5 temblor was
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
The Central Weather Administration has issued a heat alert for southeastern Taiwan, warning of temperatures as high as 36°C today, while alerting some coastal areas of strong winds later in the day. Kaohsiung’s Neimen District (內門) and Pingtung County’s Neipu Township (內埔) are under an orange heat alert, which warns of temperatures as high as 36°C for three consecutive days, the CWA said, citing southwest winds. The heat would also extend to Tainan’s Nansi (楠西) and Yujing (玉井) districts, as well as Pingtung’s Gaoshu (高樹), Yanpu (鹽埔) and Majia (瑪家) townships, it said, forecasting highs of up to 36°C in those areas
RSS