Aug 22, 2007

Taiwan: Support Sought in Central America


Taiwan’s President travels to Central America aiming to counter the mainland’s efforts to isolate the island and to normalize Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with other states.

Taiwan’s President travels to Central America aiming to counter the mainland’s efforts to isolate the island and to normalize Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with other states. 

Below is an article published by Annie Huang for The Mercury News:

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian pledged to make an all-out effort to counter China's offensive to isolate the self-ruled island as he left Tuesday [21 August 2007] for a summit with Central American leaders. 

Before boarding a chartered plane, Chen said his visit to Honduras with a transit stop in Alaska will be part of an ongoing effort to "declare to the world that we are a sovereign nation ... that should gain recognition and respect in the international community."

Chen is scheduled to attend a summit Thursday [23 August 2007] in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, with several Central American leaders before traveling on to El Salvador and Nicaragua. 

The three countries are among Taiwan's 24 remaining diplomatic allies, most of whom are small, impoverished nations in Latin America and Africa.

It was Chen's first foreign trip since Costa Rica switched diplomatic recognition to rival China in June [2007], triggering fears of a domino effect among Taiwan's remaining political allies in Latin America. 

With its rising economic and political clout, China has mounted an offensive to lure away the island's remaining allies.

Taiwan and communist China split amid civil war in 1949. China claims Taiwan as part of its own territory and has objected to foreign governments giving the island any trappings of statehood. 

The trip also comes as Taiwan-U.S. relations have become strained over Chen's push for an islandwide referendum to support the government bid to rejoin the United Nations. Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations in 1971 when the world body recognized Beijing as the sole lawful representative of China.

Washington has urged Chen not to hold the planned referendum on entry to the U.N., fearing that it could test the patience of Beijing, which views it as a push by Chen toward formalizing the island's de facto independence. 

On his way to Honduras, Chen was only granted a 50-minute refueling stop in distant Alaska, an arrangement seen as a reflection of U.S. displeasure at his provocative China policy.

"We should not give up (the referendum) in exchange for a better U.S. transit treatment," Chen said.