Taiwan’s foreign relations have been in the spotlight recently. A report in the Hong Kong-based Apple Daily suggested that the Vatican is planning on severing official diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Meanwhile, a Taiwanese lawmaker has said he believes six of Taiwan’s allies are planning to stop recognizing Taiwan. The foreign ministry has refuted both claims. But why might other countries choose to cut their ties with Taiwan in the first place? That’s the subject of today’s Taiwan News Encyclopedia.
In 1949, Chinese communists forced the government of the Republic of China to flee to Taiwan, ending the Chinese Civil War. The communists, now in control of the Chinese mainland, declared their own People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Both governments claim to be the legitimate government of all China. These mutually exclusive claims mean that foreign governments may only recognize one side.
The world’s communist states were the first to recognize the PRC, with a steady trickle of other countries following. However, the Republic of China on Taiwan maintained its UN seat and its place as a permanent member of the UN Security Council through the 1950’s and 60’s.
But by the 1970’s, things had changed. The Republic of China was stripped of its UN membership altogether in 1971, with the PRC taking its seat. Taiwan has not been represented at the UN since. By 1980, Taiwan had lost the majority of its allies, including, most devastatingly, the US, which switched its recognition to the PRC in 1979.
Taiwan has since maintained unofficial relations with many countries through a network of representative offices. Despite recognizing the PRC, the US has maintained an unofficial working relationship with Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. But these de facto relationships are denied official status.
The number of countries that recognize Taiwan changes with some frequency. As of September 2014, there are 22. But several African countries have switched recognition two or three times. There are also oddities such as the case of Vanuatu, which recognized Taiwan for a week in 2004 before the government of Vanuatu abruptly changed its mind.
The administration of President Ma Ying-jeou has promised to stop competition with the PRC over who can win the most allies. President Ma has also vowed to stop what he calls “checkbook diplomacy”, using money to win allies. Under this policy, Taiwan has only lost one ally, The Gambia in 2013. But the report in the Apple Daily and the words of legislator Tsai Huang-liang reveal that there is still some unease in Taiwan over the future of the country’s diplomacy.