As the list of countries recognizing Taiwan dwindles to 17, a US senator is pushing for measures by Washington against those switching to China
Asia Times
Date: August 27, 2018
By: Asia Times Staff
United States and Republic of China (Taiwan) flags. Photo: Getty Images
United States and Republic of China (Taiwan) flags. Photo: Getty Images
President Tsai Ing-wen’s office has admitted for the first time that it has a “contingency plan” ready in case Taiwan loses all of its diplomatic allies. And that day seems to be getting steadily closer.
El Salvador last week became the fifth country to switch recognition to China and pull its official representatives out of Taiwan since Tsai came to office more than two years ago. The others were Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso.
There are now only 17 countries in Taiwan’s camp, and most are small: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay in Latin America; Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; Swaziland in Africa; the Vatican City in Europe; and Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in the Pacific.
Tsai was tipped off about El Salvador’s possible switch months ago when the president was preparing for her state visits to Paraguay and Belize, as well as stopovers in the US, according to Taiwanese papers. [FULL STORY]
