If Taiwan continues to lose diplomatic allies and weaken the US’ geopolitical presence in the Pacific, and Central and South America, the US might cease to support the nation’s defense and international participation, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday during a question-and-answer session with Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) at the legislature in Taipei, as the two exchanged views on Kiribati cutting its ties with Taiwan.
Taipei has stated that it wants to participate in the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy, but has lost two diplomatic allies in the Pacific in five days, Chiang said.
This has caused a breach in the first island chain and could lead Washington to view Taipei as a “liability,” with Taiwan turning from a “chess piece” into an “abandoned son,” Chiang said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
When the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing this week, the US Department of State recalled Washington’s ambassador to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and reportedly reprimanded her, which was a sign of Washington’s support for Taipei, he said.
However, Taiwan’s continued loss of diplomatic allies would have a profound impact on the US’ geopolitical presence in the Pacific, which could cause Washington to get cold feet about speaking up for Taiwan at international events or selling it weapons, Chiang said.
One of US President Donald Trump’s main policies is “America first,” so the US would likely not accept frosty cross-strait relations as an excuse for Taipei continually breaking off ties with its allies, he said.
The switch occurred almost overnight, given that Kiribati was one of the nations that had signed a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for Taiwan to be granted UN membership and after Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) recently visited the country, Su said.
Taiwan had not said or done anything wrong, which reflected the reality of international politics, he said.
Washington’s reaction to the Solomon Islands cutting ties showed its support for Taiwan, while it also showed that it does not want China “trespassing in its backyard,” the premier said.
Asked whether China could look to establish ties with Taiwan’s allies Haiti or Tuvalu next, as local media have reported, the premier said that it was possible, as China is unlikely to stop its willful behavior.
Chiang called on the government to come up with concrete measures to buck the “diplomatic avalanche.”
Earlier in the day, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) attributed Kiribati’s decision to switch ties to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) repeatedly “poking” Beijing by whipping up anti-China sentiment, which would help her re-election bid.
Tsai should be condemned, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) should resign for losing five diplomatic allies during his time in the post, Lai said.
“The nation is in a very difficult diplomatic situation, one that requires all citizens to unite against external threats. Meanwhile, we must work harder,” Su Tseng-chang said, prompting criticism from Lai, who said the premier was “reciting” excuses.
Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that China’s diplomatic bullying of Taiwan has also hurt the US and Australia, and that it would have implications.
“It is regrettable to lose a diplomatic ally, but the nation must not trade its sovereignty for a diplomatic truce,” Wang said.
China’s moves have weakened the alliance of democratic nations, which has harmed the interests of the US and Australia, and that would have implications, he said.
China’s poaching of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies has breached the integrity of the US’ and Australia’s backyard, adding that although this would place a burden on Washington, it would also consolidate ties between Taiwan and the US.
Additional reporting by Huang Hsin-po
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
WATCH FOR HITCHHIKERS: The CDC warned those returning home from Japan to be alert for any contagious diseases that might have come back with them People who have returned from Japan following the World Baseball Classic (WBC) games during the weekend are recommended to watch for symptoms of infectious gastroenteritis, flu and measles for two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Flu viruses remain the most common respiratory pathogen in Taiwan in the past four weeks and the influenza B virus accounted for 55.7 percent of the tested cases, exceeding the percentage of influenza A (H3N2) infections and becoming the local dominant strain, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said at a news conference on Tuesday. There were 82,187 hospital visits for
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
Alumni from Japan’s Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School marching band, widely known as the “Orange Devils,” staged a flash mob performance at the Grand Hotel in Taipei yesterday to thank Taiwan for its support after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The show, performed on the earthquake’s 15th anniversary, drew more than 100 spectators, some of whom arrived two hours before the show to secure a good viewing spot. The 26-member group played selections from “High School Musical,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and their signature piece “Sing Sing Sing” and shouted “I love
RSS