Taiwan shows US some love

Taipei – Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US was formally invited to President Joe Biden’s inauguration in what Taipei said yesterday was a precedent-setting first since Washington switched recognition to Beijing in 1979.

Hsiao Bi-khim, Taipei’s envoy, posted a video of herself at Wednesday’s inauguration, saying she was “honoured to represent the people and government of Taiwan here at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris”.

“Democracy is our common language and freedom is our common objective,” she added.

Taipei’s foreign ministry said it was the first time in decades that a Taiwanese envoy had been “formally invited” by the inauguration’s organising committee, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party described it as “a new breakthrough in 42 years”.

Taiwan split from China at the end of a civil war in 1949. Its 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by the mainland, whose leaders view the island as their territory and have vowed to one day take it. Beijing tries to keep the island diplomatically isolated.

The US recognised Beijing over Taipei during the administration of president Jimmy Carter. But the US remains democratic Taiwan’s most important unofficial ally and is bound by an Act of Congress to sell the island weapons to defend itself.

Since 1979, US presidencies generally trod a cautious diplomatic path on Taiwan in a bid to avoid angering Beijing.