Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Taiwan, Problems with "Outsourced Diplomacy" Start to Emerge
United Daily News Editorial, December 12, 2021
After Nicaragua severed its diplomatic relations with Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen routinely expressed regret and explained that the incident involved complicate international politics and cross-strait relations. Without doubt, this is mainland China's retaliation against the Democracy Summit sponsored by the United States, and revenge on the recent upgrading of Taiwan-Lithuania relations. American sanctions and international isolation also contributed to Nicaragua's change of direction.
Although President Tsai reiterates the determination to march toward the world, it is important to know that the aftereffects of Taiwan's "outsourced diplomacy” to the United State starts to emerge.
Some commented that the severance has little effect; that the Tsai administration could take the incident as an example of mainland China's bullying and curry more support with the United States, Europe and Japan in the Democracy Summit by showing to them that China is marginalizing their most valuable democratic partner.
At the time when Taiwanese people are going to decide on the four-question referendum, President Tsai could even exploit the event to reap some political dividend.
President Tsai is good at reverse operation, turning the diplomatic crisis into her own political gain. Nevertheless, this could not beautify the historic record of losing 8 diplomatic allies under her administration. Neither could this mitigate the risk of pushing Taiwan to the front line of geo-political competition and make up for the damage on Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity.
Now under President Tsai's watch, there are only 14 diplomatic allies left, a record low. Although there seems to be a temporary stop of bleeding since the severance of diplomatic relations with Solomon Islands and Kiribati in 2019, and even a gain on the upgrade of relations with Lithuania, that is mainly because the Tsai administration has found a patron in the United States.
From Oceania to Latin America, Taiwan depends very much on the United States to maintain and stabilize relations with its allies: on Marshall Islands, Honduras and Paraguay, as it is on the small breakthrough with Lithuania recently. In all, we see the United States behind the scene.
Since President Biden takes the helm, the U.S.-China competition has not changed fundamentally. Although Taiwan could sail smoothly diplomatically with the United States as its patron; once against the waves, it could not move forward and could even capsize. For the United States bases its consideration on its global strategy and national interests. The United States helps stabilize Taiwan's allies in Latin America with a view to preventing China from entering its backyard and threatening its security. But when the United States imposes sanctions on Nicaragua, how can Taiwan expect the United States to guard the Taiwan-Nicaragua relations?
President Tsai is right in saying that the severance involves complicate international politics and cross-strait relations. What she is not saying, or dare not say, is that she has contracted out Taiwan's diplomacy to the United States. As a consequence, Taiwan has lost its initiative and autonomy and is destined to be dragged to the fire line of U.S.-China competition and to drift along the changes of geopolitics and international situation.
Besides diplomacy, alarm is also sounded on defense. Taiwan already is the biggest client of U.S. arms sales. "The Taiwan Deterrence Act" proposed by Senator Cornyn, which offers financing to Taiwan for its arms purchase, tantamount to Taiwan's "contract-out its defense" to the United States. The United States has never promised to send troops to help defend Taiwan. So, Taiwan stands herself in the firing line on the anti-China campaign without gaining concrete promise from the United States to send troops to defend Taiwan. How ironic it is to the Taiwan identity and subjectivity with this loss of Taiwan's autonomy.
It is without doubt that U.S.-Taiwan relations is irreplaceably important and that we cannot let up, for any moment, Taiwan's defense. However, this does not mean that we should give up our autonomy and initiative on diplomacy and cross-strait relations.
The Tsai administration has been de-Sinicizing domestically and waging anti-China campaign externally. This has led to the deterioration of cross-strait relations and as a result, more dependence on the United States and loss of autonomy.
On the severance of diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that it is for safeguarding Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity. But after the Tsai administration outsourced its diplomacy to the United States, the sovereignty and dignity of Taiwan is not under Taiwan's control.