Dollar diplomacy's dead end
Another day, another diplomatic ally lost. Beijing's carrots and sticks have cowed Liberia into forsaking a staunch, loyal friend.
But wait. Could it be that Liberia is actually better off without Taiwan and that this decision is entirely in keeping with Liberia's interests? After all, the alliance was struck with Charles Taylor, a man so thoroughly despised in his own country that he was forced into (rather comfortable) exile in Nigeria.
Taylor apparently thought highly enough of the assistance Taiwan offered to stabilize and legitimize his regime to such an extent that he honored us with a state visit. Perhaps Liberia's new government simply decided that Taiwan had laid down with dogs for too long, and flea-infested allies are no longer welcome.
Taiwan's dollar diplomacy is a dead end. China has more than enough dollars of its own, and is perfectly willing to outbid Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan often finds itself in the unfortunate position of offering aid and recognition to some of the most incompetent, brutal and corrupt regimes on earth.
Taiwan has a great deal to offer the developing world -- money, technical expertise and the experience of its transition from dictatorship to democracy.
However, tying these benefits to diplomatic recognition has failed time and again, and there's no reason to believe that it will bear fruit in the future.
De-linking aid from diplomatic relations and pursuing a foreign policy based on principle, rather than quixotic disregard for political realities, would not only set Taiwan apart in diplomatic circles, but would also wrong-foot those in China who seek to isolate Taiwan.
If you can't beat someone at his own game, it's time to change the rules.
Jonathan Brody
Taipei
Taiwan's diplomats useless
Any representative from Taiwan stationed overseas is getting a salary of more than US$10,000 per month.
Any junior officer stationed at an overseas office is getting a minimum of US$5,000 per month. On top of their salary, they also get a handsome housing allowance plus a territorial bonus.
If such benefits produce no results, what do we need these diplomats for? Keeping an embassy/representative office or not, depends on what can be functional at that spot.
Suppose the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' people are not successful in breaking through the curtain imposed by China, then we may as well just save their salaries, and make it available in the form of a foundation to the overseas Taiwanese community so that they can perform genuine civil diplomacy effectively. It may work out at least as good as what is currently performed by the ministry.
Taiwanese communities overseas can still jointly hold big rallies every year on the UN plaza. Yet, this is a program 100 percent voluntarily initiated by overseas Taiwanese, that has nothing to do with the ministry.
If the ministry has done anything with the UN issue, it is nothing but routinely arranging which country is to table the issue "Let the ROC back into the UN." The ministry is barking up the wrong tree.
In order to get into the UN, what the ministry should try to do is increase the country's number of diplomatic allies. We need to increase them from 27 to 28, not decrease them from 27 to 26.
The ministry's people should be trained and motivated like sales representatives to knock on every door of every country so as to promote Taiwan's sovereignty. Getting into the UN is a consequence, as well as the sweet result, of working hard to gain more diplomatic ties with many other countries.
Overseas Taiwanese are extremely enthusiastic to work for the nation's international position. Frankly, a lot of work by these Taiwanese communities overlaps with the ministry's role. The only difference is that the ministry's people are doing the work with a fat pay check. Taiwanese communities do the same work without pay, but with their whole heart, in their own spare time, and by spending their own money.
It is about time for the ministry to be strengthened. Has the ministry learned anything from the Macedonia case about a year ago?
We need to know how the ministry plans to handle future cases like Liberia or Macedonia. If the ministry cannot give the people an answer, don't we think it should be held liable for decreasing Taiwan's sovereignty in the international arena?
Joshua Tin
DPP America East Chapter
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