Two of Taiwan's allies have severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in the past few days. Amid concerns that China is trying to isolate Taiwan, experts say there are still ways with which it can maintain international clout.

Deutsche Welle
Date: 27.09.2019
By: William Yang (Taipei)    

Taiwan suffered a diplomatic setback last week with two of its former allies – Solomon Islands and Kiribati – choosing to sever ties with Taipei. This leaves only 15 countries in the world that recognize its sovereignty. Since 2016, Taiwan has lost five allies to China.

China's aggressive diplomatic efforts to isolate Taiwan have alarmed the authorities in Taipei, as they feel they are being systematically cornered.

Since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, China has piled more pressure on Taiwan. China has also been blocking Taiwanese representatives from attending international conferences as observers.

"Beijing's main objective has always been to use this strategy as a psychological weapon against Taiwan," Jonathan Sullivan, director of the China Policy Institute at the University of Nottingham, told DW.    [FULL  STORY]