Soon after Nicaragua broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan, France and the United States made shows of friendship and support, making this a turbulent week for Taiwan’s foreign relations.
With a nod instead of a handshake, President Tsai Ing-wen welcomed former President of the French National Assembly and current chair of the France-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, François de Rugy, and five other French lawmakers.
President Tsai said that Franco-Taiwanese relations took a leap forward this year. She said she hopes that Taiwan and the EU will continue to strive for more economic cooperation.
De Rugy said that the parliamentary group came to Taiwan to develop effective cooperation and out of concern for peace.
This wasn’t the only sign of support for Taiwan to come this week. On Wednesday, local time, the US Congress passed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. In it, US lawmakers request reports on Taiwan’s defense capabilities from the Defense Secretary, agree to provide aid to Taiwan to develop asymmetric defense capabilities, strengthen military cooperation, and suggest that the Pentagon should invite Taiwan to the RIMPAC military exercise.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Joanne Ou expressed gratitude for this show of support and commitment to the safety of Taiwan.
Not all international partners are this friendly, however. Nicaragua, which recently switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, gave Taiwanese diplomats only 14 days to leave the country. This is considered a tight deadline in these situations.
Spokesperson Ou said that based on the principle of reciprocity, Taiwan has also asked the Nicaraguan diplomatic mission to Taiwan to withdraw in the same time frame.
Faced with this sudden hostility, the foreign ministry has asked the Nicaraguan government to follow international practice in guaranteeing the safety of diplomatic personnel and expediting relevant administrative procedures.