By Floyd French
Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts) – In the wake of electing a new president, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) says it will honour its agreement to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The official communication says, “The foreign policy of the Republic of China and its commitment to diplomatic allies remain the same. Under the new government, the cooperation between Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
Concerns over future diplomatic relations between Taiwan and its allies are legitimate, after the Ma Ying-jeou won the March 22 presidential election for the pro-China Kuomintang Party.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris said that the change in Taiwan’s government would not have immediate implications for the Federation.
“At least for the medium term we do not foresee any significant change. The president-elect has said that the sovereignty of Taiwan would remain intact. That means so long as Taiwan considers itself a sovereign entity then it means Taiwan would not be absorbed or become annexed to mainland China … and one aspect of the sovereignty would be to have diplomatic allies,” he said.
Mr. Harris also said that a less confrontational relationship between China and Taiwan did not mean the end of all future diplomatic ties.
“I do think that the normalised relationship would take time to the extent that mainland China’s policy is still that there should be one China and to the extent that Taiwan’s counter-proposition is that there is one China ,but one Taiwan too.
“We then would only vanish if as a result of normalisation it leads to some acquiescence that there is only one China and they [Taiwan] are part of it,” added Minister Harris.
One China, two views
Both Taiwan and mainland China believed at one point in a One China Policy. The name Republic of China (ROC) represents Taipei’s early claim of rule over all China while the name People’s Republic of China (PRC) represents Beijing ’s counter claim of sovereignty over all China. Taiwan has since changed its position on a One China Policy after losing UN representation in 1971. Taiwan’s position is now more pro-independence rather than reunification under Taipei ’s rule; but Beijing remains adamant that Taiwan is part of China.
Minister Harris does not view the call for warmer relations between Taipei and Beijing by President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou to be the end of diplomatic efforts for Taiwan’s independence. Harris believes the pro-China stance by the incoming government will attempt to remove the tangible opposition along the Taiwan Strait.
“Under the past regime you had restrictions on travel … indeed there are no regular flights …. He [President-Elect Ma] is going more for an opening up of that. He is saying that he wants to have more investment in China, for business people to invest …. In the last regime there were some concerns over that because about 40 percent of all investment in China comes from Taiwanese people,” said Minister Harris.
Warmer relations, then, will facilitate more Taiwanese capital investment in mainland China and greater movement of people between the two countries. Mainland China has not stated its reaction to the election outcome.
Better China-Taiwan relations might also reduce the military tension along the straits. China, which has over 1,000 missiles aimed at Taiwan, says it will use force to prevent any formal move towards independence.
Along with winning the presidency, the Kuomintang Party also controls the legislature. The new president will be formally sworn in on May 20, 2008. Minister Harris said that the change in Taiwan’s government is a situation his Ministry would monitor.
