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
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS