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DPP denies talk of downgrading allies' importance

ROC Central News Agency

2016/03/19 12:41:23

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday denied a media report which said voices are mounting within the party arguing that 'diplomatic allies are useless' to Taiwan.

According to a story published Saturday in the United Daily News, since China and the Gambia resumed diplomatic ties on Wednesday, there have been concerns whether Taiwan will suffer 'an avalanche of ruptured diplomatic ties' after the DPP administration assumes office in May.

Pro-DPP academics have recently begun to argue that losing several diplomatic allies in the future will be 'within a tolerable limit," the report said.

It also said some of the scholars have even argued that as long as Taiwan retains the support of the United States and Japan, the country's survival will not be threatened even if the number of its diplomatic allies drops to zero.

DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng (王閔生), however, dismissed the report as untrue.

Wang said no one has made such statements, whether it was during meetings of the DPP's think tank, meetings on international affairs, or other advisory meetings.

He stressed that maintaining good relations with Taiwan's diplomatic allies, fully developing the country's foreign ties and enhancing its global status have always been the top goals of the DPP's foreign policy.

The DPP has pledged on many occasions that after it returns to power, it will do its utmost to consolidate Taiwan's relations with its diplomatic allies and to promote peace, stability and prosperity.

Wang added that Taiwan is willing to contribute positively to the international community and hopes to obtain support and recognition through such efforts.

There have been concerns that, unless President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) complies with Beijing's demand on one China, the Chinese would restart its efforts to woo Taiwan's diplomatic allies after a hiatus of eight years under President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

China sees Taiwan as part of Chinese territory, to be united by force if necessary.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/cs