Dominican Republic cuts Taiwan ties in coup for China

THE Dominican Republic has cut longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan and switched to China, handing another victory to Beijing in its longterm quest to isolate the self-ruled island on the global stage.

Taiwan’s government said yesterday it was “deeply upset” by the move, and condemned China’s “objectionable decision to use dollar diplomacy”, accusing Beijing of luring Taipei’s foreign allies with cash rewards. An unnamed Taiwanese official told Reuters that China had won the country over with $3.1billion incentives and loans.

The decision comes during a time of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan’s traditionally independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, which rose to power in 2015. Beijing and Taipei have long competed for each other’s allies in a power struggle that stems from China’s belief that it has a territorial claim to Taiwan and from democratic Taiwan’s resistance to being absorbed into the mainland.

“Beijing’s attempts at foreign policy have only served to drive a wedge between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, erode mutual trust, and further harm the feelings of the people of Taiwan,” said Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, yesterday.

Flavio Dario Espinal, a legal consultant to Dominican Republic’s presidential office, said ending relations with Taiwan was based on the “needs, potential and future prospects” of his Caribbean nation.

Taiwan hit back by immediately recalling its diplomats and reminding the Dominicans that it had helped build their nation into a rice exporter.

China said there had been no economic pre-conditions for the switch, with An Fengshan, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, attributing it to the “general trend and common aspiration of the people” of both countries.

Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s president, described China’s latest action as “an unfriendly and destructive approach to cross-strait relations”.