Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/17
By: Tang Pei-chun, Ku Chuan, Matt Yu, Elaine Hou, Shih Hsiu-chuan and
Joseph Yeh

Brussels, Sept. 16 (CNA) China's ongoing money diplomacy to snatch away Taiwan's diplomatic

allies is not merely a diplomatic competition between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait but also a competition between China's model of authoritarian government and Western-style democracy, according to Taiwan's top envoy to the European Union.

The country's top envoy to the EU, Tseng Ho-jen (曾厚仁), made the remarks when asked to comment on the severing of ties between Taiwan and the Solomon Islands, in the wake of the Pacific country's decision Monday to switch allegiance to Beijing.

The switch has led to concern in the western world, which has gradually found that cross-strait competition does not concern Taiwan and China only.

In fact, it reflects a bigger picture of the competition of different political systems — namely, China's model of authoritarian government and Western-style democracy, Tseng said.
[FULL  STORY]