The falling diplomatic dominoes

If I had to put money on it, I’d say Taiwan is about to lose a few more diplomatic allies. Its wallet isn’t big enough to please its “friends.”

The dominoes of Central America are already beginning to topple. Costa Rica broke with Taiwan and established relations with China on June 1, and Nicaragua will soon follow.

Shortly after breaking with Taiwan June 1, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias put it in black and white: “I was always critical of the Taiwanese, and I can say now that I always told them ... if you want to have friends in the world, you should be more generous.”

So it’s all about money, isn’t it? 

Taiwan now only has 24 states that recognize it, mostly in Central America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific and Africa, and it is in a battle of “dollar diplomacy” against China over diplomatic recognition. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Daniel Ortega, the mustachioed former revolutionary who leads Nicaragua, sent an emissary to China earlier this month, apparently to negotiate a diplomatic switcheroo.

When asked last week if Nicaragua would drop ties with Taipei, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos gave a tepid response: “Nowadays we have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.”

But who knows what’ll happen next week?

Santos acknowledged that the ruling leftist Sandinista Front in Nicaragua has “magnificent relations” with the Communist Party of China.

A year ago, Ortega said during his presidential campaign that he would establish full diplomatic relations with China if elected and limit ties with Taiwan to trade.

It’s just a matter of time.

Comments

[Michael Turton]

Yep. Taiwan has to play out that string, though. The ROC is a virtual state, but it might make a half-decent cocoon for an independent Taiwan.

Michael

[chinese]

Does PRC need to pay money for diplomatic recognition ? then how much they should paied for U.S. or other major country's recognition? PRC is a large country that every state want to get in touch with,only Taiwan need to bribe for this.

[Vietnamica]

Washington maintains an implicit commitment to defend Taiwan if China decides to use force. However, in 2003, President George W. Bush said the US is opposed to any action that “might unilaterally change the status quo” across the Taiwan Strait. The Bush administration is afraid of a major conflict in East Asia at a time when the US are stuck in the Middle East.

I still think the US will not turn their back on Taiwan, in the event of a violent conflict there.