Mon, Mar 27, 2023 page2

• HONDURAS RELATIONS: Taiwan ‘stands firm’ despite loss

  CHANGING TIDES: Even among countries without diplomatic relations, exchanges and visits by senior officials are becoming more frequent, a legislator said

  • By Chen Yu-fu, Lin Liang-sheng and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) cannot reverse the changes already occurring in international politics, a legislator said yesterday in response to China and Honduras formally establishing ties.

  The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced that Beijing had established diplomatic relations with Tegucigalpa.

  Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang (秦剛) said that he had held talks with Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina in Beijing, after which Reina signed a “joint communique,” establishing ties and recognizing that “there is only one China, of which the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative, and of which Taiwan is an inalienable part.”

  

  The pole where the Honduran national flag used to fly is vacant outside the Diplomatic Quarter building in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP

  China’s use of dollar diplomacy to poach Taiwan’s allies would not “reverse the changing trend in international politics and international relations,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said yesterday.

  “The severance of diplomatic relations with Honduras was expected. Emperor Xi Jinping is now in his third term, and the humiliation of Taiwan was the big gift he needed,” she said.

  “However, China’s efforts won’t change the fact that trends in international diplomacy are changing,” she added.

  Taiwan is witnessing a changing pattern in its international relationships, which reflect the gradual blurring of traditional diplomatic boundaries, she said.

  “Even without diplomatic relations, substantive exchanges and mutual visits are becoming very frequent,” she said.

  This month alone, Taiwan welcomed Germany’s education minister, the speaker of the Czech House of Representatives, the former prime minister of Kosovo, a cross-party delegation of parliamentarians from the UK and a delegation from the Association of State Democratic Committees — a subcommittee of the US Democratic Party, she said.

  “We can ask the government to engage in introspection, we can be angry at Honduras, but we must also stand up for Taiwan, and go out into the world and make friends,” she said.

  New Power Party Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) condemned Beijing for repeatedly interfering with Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with other countries and maliciously oppressing Taiwan in the international community.

  “As a member of the world’s democratic camp, we will not be shaken by Beijing’s deliberate isolation of Taiwan,” she said.

  “On the contrary, we will stand straight and firm, and continue to have mutually beneficial exchanges and interactions with the international community,” she added.

  Wang also urged former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to cancel his “ancestor-worshiping” trip to China today, despite claiming to have no plans to meet officials in Beijing.

  “As the former commander-in-chief in Taiwan, Ma should cancel his trip to China to protest against Beijing snatching our allies,” she said.

  “If Ma insists on visiting China and sends the wrong message to the international community, then he would be judged and scrutinized by Taiwanese people,” she added.

  KMT caucus whip Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗) yesterday defended Ma, saying the trip had nothing to do with the severing of Taiwan-Honduras ties.

  While China’s actions toward Taiwan should be condemned, Ma’s trip is to pay his respects to his ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day, which is “in line with the government’s policy of promoting healthy exchanges,” Tseng said.

  The trip was planned long in advance, and is not political in nature, as Ma would not meet with any Chinese officials, KMT Legislator Wen Yu-hsia (溫玉霞) said.

  KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) also expressed support for the trip, saying “cross-strait non-governmental exchanges should not be affected” by political issues.

  Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
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