OPPORTUNITY:The president’s low-key approach is not working, former officials said, as they urged her to seek allies among nations fearful of Chinese expansionism

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 25, 2017
By: Peng Wan-hsin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should not fear angering China and should take advantage of the threat of China’s expansionist activities to seek new diplomatic allies, a former official said, adding that the administration has failed over the past year to be proactive in its foreign affairs policies.

Former representative to Japan Koh Se-kai (許世楷) on Saturday said that China’s obstruction of the nation’s participation in international organizations such as the Interpol, the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization is likely to worsen, citing comments from Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) that an invitation to this year’s WHA — the WHO’s highest decisionmaking body — is very unlikely.

Tsai is not making much progress in foreign affairs, despite high expectations from the public, Koh said, adding that Japan is on alert due to China’s expansionism and is consequently more willing to provide assistance to Taiwan.

“If the nation fails to express its identity and more positively respond to opportunities created by policy adjustments in the US and Japan, then this golden opportunity will soon be lost,” Koh said.