Meddling in China’s affair violates norms

In a show of the power politics — that it is quick to lambast others for — the United States said on Friday it had recalled its top diplomats in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Panama over those countries’ decisions to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The move was preceded by US senators’ introducing legislation on Wednesday that would authorize the State Department to downgrade US relations with any government that shifts away from Taiwan. By resorting to coercion in this way, in the hope that those countries that still maintain “diplomatic ties” with Taiwan will be deterred from shifting diplomatic recognition to the Chinese mainland, Washington is showing that it has no respect for the norms of international relations.

It is also blatantly trying to intervene in a matter that is the domestic jurisdiction of another sovereign nation, proving that nothing is stronger than habit, since this has become one of Washington’s favorite pastimes.

To see this for the ill-intentioned meddling it is, one only has to look at the joint Sino-US communiqué issued on Dec 16, 1978, which states the US “recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China”.

Washington claims its move is because Beijing has been enticing countries to switch diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing with economic inducements. However, the truth always surfaces above lies, and this has been rejected by those countries concerned as “base and totally false”.

By switching diplomatic ties Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Panama have aligned themselves with the historical truth that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of it.

This is the consensus of the international community. It is also the fundamental prerequisite and political foundation for China to establish and develop relations with any country, and as the presidential spokesman of El Salvador said after the country switched its diplomatic ties to Beijing from Taipei last month, “We cannot turn our back on the world, ignore that China is the second-largest power in the world and the leading export economy on the planet ...”

In trying to bully those countries that still have “diplomatic relations” with Taipei from correcting their historical mistake, Washington is playing them as expendable pawns in its geopolitical games, and sending a dangerous signal to the Tsai Ing-wen administration, encouraging it to walk further and further, along a dangerous road.

Washington and Taipei should not get so wrapped up in their game that they forget the risks.