The foreign ministry is monitoring Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with Sao Tome and Principe. That’s the word from foreign ministry official Chen Chun-shen on Monday.
Chen was responding to a lawmaker’s question about Taiwan’s relations with its 22 allies. The question came after the Gambia, a former ally, reestablished formal diplomatic ties with China last Thursday.
When asked to use green, yellow and red lights to gauge Taiwan’s ties with its allies, Chen picked a yellow light to describe relations with Sao Tome and Principe. A yellow light means that while relations are stable for the coming year, there are uncertainties about the future.
Chen, however, used a green light to describe Taiwan’s ties with its two other African allies: Swaziland and Burkina Faso.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister David Lin said that although Sao Tome and Principe is going to hold its presidential elections this year, there is no diplomatic crisis at hand, since the prime minister has maintained close ties with Taiwan.