Vatican offers opportunity
The severing of diplomatic ties with Macedonia was Taiwan's first diplomatic loss since the DPP came to power. The behind-the-scenes story was, not for the first time, a matter of money.
The conditions put down by Beijing for the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Macedonia involved the usual package: the cutting of diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognition that Taiwan is a part of the PRC. The Macedonian scenario has been an oft-repeated feature of Taiwan's diplomatic history.
The situation with the Vatican, however, is an exception that merits our attention. The relationship between Beijing and the Vatican has resumed following US President George W. Bush's visit to Shanghai. Not surprisingly, Beijing's traditional package has been put forward as the condition for establishing formal relations with the Vatican. We should be aware that the part of the package concerning Taiwan is already known to everyone, including Bush. Yet Bush assisted with the resumption of talks.
The Vatican is not like those little countries asking for money. It is a state with global religious authority. The Vatican-Beijing relationship broke down because of a dispute regarding religious freedom and the authority to appoint Catholic bishops, both matters of principle. Whether the issue of Taiwan is being considered as a matter of principle by the Vatican remains to be seen.
In any event, the Vatican's case should serve as a good indicator of whether a dual recognition of both Taiwan and the PRC can be established. The Vatican may be the most appropriate state to initiate this breakthrough.
The current ROC embassy in the Vatican has emphasized that there is still a long way to go for a normalized relationship between the Vatican and Beijing. So stay cool; there is no cause for alarm.
But what cards can Taipei play? This might be a good chance to test how smart Taipei is in foreign affairs. If the matter is handled intelligently, Taiwan could have a good opportunity to gain a recognition parallel to that of the PRC. Once that happens the opening of the door to the entire world could follow.
What course of action can be taken by ordinary people to help Taiwan? I think a petition campaign involving religious groups and lay people, directed at the Vatican, would help.
Joshua Tin
Brooklyn, New York
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS