With the severing of diplomatic relations with Liberia, the number of Taiwan's diplomatic allies has fallen to 26. To take political responsibility, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) has tendered his resignation. This is a responsible action by a political appointee, but Chien does not really need to step down over the issue. On the contrary, it was a big relief for Taiwan to bid farewell to Liberia.
Liberia has been notorious for its endless civil wars, which have made the country one of the poorest in the world. Former president Charles Taylor earned international condemnation with his human rights abuses and brutal suppression of dissent. In 2001, the UN passed a resolution imposing sanctions on the country. In response to calls from the Liberian people, the US has sent troops there and forced Taylor to leave the country. From abroad, however, Taylor continues to wield influence on Liberian politics.
Taiwan's diplomatic predicament leaves little room for the country to be picky about with whom it wants to make friends. But a disreputable friend like the Taylor government has been an embarrassment for a country that claims to attach importance to human rights. Taiwan knew that Taylor's government ignored its people's welfare and trampled on human rights, that the country's economy was a shambles and that bureaucratic corruption was rampant. But diplomatic ties prevented Taiwan from condemning Liberia. Instead, Taiwan had to support such a government. In the face of international criticism regarding its double standards on human rights, Taiwan could only stay quiet. Liberia's departure frees Taiwan from a huge burden.
In a broader context, the severance of ties with Liberia was driven by international factors that Taiwan can hardly reverse. Like Macedonia, Liberia has been facing civil war and needs to rely on UN resources and peacekeeping forces. Using its power as a permanent member of the Security Council, China has pressured Liberia to switch diplomatic relations, and Liberia has obliged, for the sake of peacekeeping troops and US$250 million in aid. All this was not due to any lapse or mistake on the part of Taiwan's foreign affairs authorities. They have done their best. Chien does not need to resign.
Ostensibly, China has won another diplomatic ally and further isolated Taiwan. In reality, however, the Taiwanese public's perceptions of the ROC's diplomatic fortunes have been changing ever since former president Lee Teng-hui (
China has been low-key about establishing diplomatic ties with Liberia, apparently loathe to agitate Taiwan. But knowledgeable people in Taiwan have already woken up to the fact that the more China tries to squeeze the ROC's diplomatic space, the more Taiwanese people will realize that the ROC no longer exists in the international community. This will see more people supporting the movements promoting a name change for the ROC and a new constitution. Perhaps many Taiwanese will thank China for helping to cut diplomatic ties with Liberia.
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