{"id":49256,"date":"2017-10-27T09:48:05","date_gmt":"2017-10-27T09:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=49256"},"modified":"2017-10-27T09:48:05","modified_gmt":"2017-10-27T09:48:05","slug":"taiwan-president-making-state-visits-amid-china-stalemate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/taiwan-president-making-state-visits-amid-china-stalemate.html","title":{"rendered":"Taiwan president making state visits amid China stalemate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taiwan president making state visits amid China stalemate<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Taiwan\u2019s President Tsai Ing-wen is setting off for the United States and three South Pacific nations in an effort to crack the diplomatic isolation imposed by rival China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tsai will visit the Marshall and Solomon Islands along with Tuvalu starting from Saturday. The three are among the just 20 countries that extend Taiwan formal diplomatic recognition. Like most Taiwanese allies, they are developing countries that look to Taiwan for economic support.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tsai\u2019s travels follow Panama\u2019s switching of diplomatic relations to Beijing in June in what was seen as a major diplomatic setback for Taiwan.<\/span><\/p>\n

China claims sovereignty over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan, which split from the mainland amid civil war in 1949, and uses diplomatic and economic pressure to restrict the island\u2019s international relations. Washington does not formally recognize Taiwan but maintains close economic, diplomatic and military ties with the island.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it officially advocates \u201cpeaceful unification,\u201d China has never renounced its threat to use force to gain control over Taiwan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Oct. 18, the first day of a ruling Communist Party congress, that China would not allow anyone to \u201cseparate any part of Chinese territory from China,\u201d a likely reference to Taiwan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tsai\u2019s top China policymaker told a forum in Taipei Thursday that the two sides needed a \u201cnew chapter\u201d in relations and a \u201cnew method of interaction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that Xi Jinping is an extremely ambitious leader and he doesn\u2019t want to get to 2020 with his Taiwan scorecard a blank,\u201d said Lin Chong-pin, a retired strategic professor from Tamkang University in Taiwan.<\/span><\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI don\u2019t think Tsai Ing-wen will cross the red line\u201d during her travels, referring to actions and statements that emphasize Taiwan\u2019s formal and legal independence from China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beijing resents the Tsai government because her Democratic Progressive Party advocates Taiwan\u2019s formal independence, although Tsai has played down that aim and called for continued dialogue with China. Beijing cut off exchanges between the two governments last year after Tsai made clear she would not endorse China\u2019s view that Taiwan is a part of China.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Marshalls and Solomons, Tsai will find an \u201copportunity to better understand the sustainable development needs of the two countries and determine how (Taiwan) can assist in line with steadfast diplomacy,\u201d the government said in a statement posted on its official website.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tsai\u2019s entourage has also prepared gifts made by Taiwan aboriginal artisans to play up their ethnic Austronesian links in the South Pacific, the presidential office said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/asia_pacific\/taiwan-president-making-state-visits-amid-china-stalemate\/2017\/10\/27\/4f67271a-baeb-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html?utm_term=.c1e5a5f27da8<\/span><\/p>\n

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