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Taiwan's diplomatic efforts remain fraught: new foreign minister

ROC Central News Agency

2018/03/22 11:36:02

Taipei, March 22 (CNA) Taiwan's diplomacy has always been difficult and under huge pressure from China, despite the previous Kuomintang (KMT) administration's recognition of the "1992 consensus," the nation's new foreign minister said Thursday.

"Our diplomatic efforts have never been easy," Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said in his first interpellation session at the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

In the face of the ongoing tense cross-Taiwan Strait relations, Wu said that the country is well-prepared to face all kinds of diplomatic challenges.

Wu's comments come at a time when cross-strait relations remain strained since the inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in May 2016, because her Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) refusal to recognize the "1992 consensus" has reduced Beijing's willingness to engage with Tsai's administration.

The "1992 consensus" refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides acknowledge there is "one China," with each side having its own interpretation of what "one China" means.

Taiwan has faced various diplomatic setbacks in the international community resulting from Chinese pressure on the Tsai administration.

It has lost two diplomatic allies to China since Tsai took office -- Sao Tome and Principe in December 2016 and Panama in June 2017 -- and has failed in bids to participate in regular meetings of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Assembly (WHA).

During the KMT administration from 2008 to 2016, then-President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) adopted so-called "flexible diplomacy" -- a cross-strait diplomatic strategy based on the assumption that China would not poach any of Taiwan's remaining allies as long as Taiwan did not seek new ones. Taiwan lost only one diplomatic ally to China during Ma's presidency, when The Gambia switched allegiance in 2013.

Commenting on the nation's ties with its existing 20 allies, Wu said that some of the relationships need more time and effort, but that in general, they are stable. He said he does not foresee any diplomatic allies cutting ties with Taiwan in the near future.

Wu also admitted that the chances of Taiwan obtaining an invitation to this year's WHA appear to be slim, but stressed that the government is doing everything it can to make it possible.

(By Joseph Yeh)
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