Beijing’s retaliatory tactic of wooing former diplomatic ally Nauru away from Taipei after Taiwan elected Vice President William Lai (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would only anger the nation, Taiwanese politicians and analysts said yesterday.
Taiwan on Monday terminated diplomatic ties with Nauru with immediate effect after the Pacific island nation earlier in the day announced that it would recognize the People’s Republic of China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Nauru’s government had asked for a large sum of money prior to the switch — a request that Taiwan refused.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The Pacific microstate’s recognition switch, coming two days after the presidential election, shows that Beijing has launched a new campaign to force concessions out of Lai before his inauguration on May 20, Taiwan Brain Trust advisory committee member Wang Chih-sheng (王智盛) said on Monday.
However, the bullying tactic of poaching diplomatic allies would likely anger Taiwanese, as Beijing’s actions are tantamount to a declaration of war on the democratic process, making Taiwan more apathetic toward China, Wang said.
In arranging for Nauru to drop Taiwan, Beijing sought to promote its “one China” principle and register its disapproval of a US delegation visiting, said Anson Hung (洪耀南), an associate professor of international relations at Tamkang University.
The move by China would have limited effect, as Taiwan’s diplomatic strategic focus long ago shifted to cultivating its relationships with the US, Japan and European countries, while Taiwanese care little about retaining diplomatic allies, Hung said.
The formal recognition of other countries serves no purpose other than being symbolic proof that the Republic of China continues to exist, Wang said.
Taiwan can expect Beijing to ratchet up pressure in the diplomatic, military, economic and legal domains, he said.
China’s attempt to punish Taiwanese for electing a political candidate it dislikes would further tarnish its image and stoke dissatisfaction with its conduct in the West, Taiwan New Constitution Foundation deputy director Sung Cheng-en (宋承恩) said.
Targeting the nation’s diplomatic allies is likely in retaliation against Lai’s victory, DPP caucus director Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said.
It is not surprising that Beijing, not being able to tolerate the free decisions of Taiwanese, would resort to childish tantrums and thuggish behavior, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said.
However, there were calls for diplomacy with Beijing from members of the opposition.
Taiwan’s loss of a diplomatic ally immediately after the vote shows that the DPP government’s foreign policy is flawed, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗) said.
Lai should present an olive branch to China upon taking office as president, Tseng added.
Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-han
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS