The Solomon Islands and Kiribati have both switched allegiance from Taiwan to China, but is it really a loss for Taiwan?
The News Lens
Date: 2019/09/20
By: David Evans
The Solomon Islands’s decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China has received widespread domestic and international media coverage this week. News of Kiribati's decision to follow suit has just broken at the time of writing, but it is likely to follow the same pattern.
The media coverage on the severance of ties has been markedly different from previous diplomatic switches. Most reactions suggest that, while the loss of an ally is never good news, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pressures Taiwan in a foul manner, it can play out to Taiwan’s advantage.
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