Taiwan says China ‘impertinently’ wants it to soften representation in 5 countries

TAIPEI: China has been pressuring the United Arab Emirates and four other countries to ask Taiwan to rename its representative offices in another sign of diplomatic pressure on the self-ruled island, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said yesterday.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under its sovereignty by force, if necessary.

The pressure from Beijing on the UAE, Bahrain, Ecuador, Jordan, and Nigeria follows Panama’s decision this week to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and instead recognise China and its ‘One China’ policy.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement China wanted the five countries to ask Taiwan to use names, such as ‘Taipei Trade Office’, that do not suggest Taiwanese sovereignty.

“China is acting to suppress us in an impertinent way that has seriously offended the sensibilities of Taiwan’s people,” the statement said.

Taiwan and China have tried to poach each other’s diplomatic allies ever since Taiwan’s expulsion from the United Nations in 1971, to allow formal recognition of China.

Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, did not confirm Taiwan’s claim, but said the ‘one China’ principle was ‘an important political prerequisite’ for the country to establish diplomatic ties. — Reuters