In his second visit to Taiwan less than a month, the president of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei publicly announced his ‘unconditional support’ to the Republic of Taiwan. This move by Guatemala can be traced to China increasing its hold on smaller nations which are formal allies of Guatemala.
Source: Reuters
In a ceremony organized for Alejandro Giammattei, he reassured the press and the public of Guatemala’s full support to the ‘Republic of Taiwan’, and suggested that the two countries were ‘brotherly countries’. In his speech, he referred to Taiwan twice as the ‘Republic of Taiwan’, rather than its official name ‘Republic of China’, ending his speech with ‘Long Live Taiwan’. He was thanked by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. China has condemned the visit of Alejandro Giammattei to Taiwan.
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Guatemala
Guatemala is one of the few thirteen nations to maintain direct relations with the Republican administration in Taiwan. Guatemala has strong diplomatic ties with the country and cooperative exercises in multiple areas. He also called for a free, sovereign, and independent Taiwan in his recent visit. This suggestion is likely to infuriate Beijing which claims its sovereign rights and authority over Taiwan. The sour relations between Guatemala and China go back ninety years. Guatemala’s government had to flee to Taiwan to escape a civil war with the communists of Mao Zedong.
Source: Reuters
Guatemalan financial officials stated that the country neither wants free money nor is in debt like Honduras and only seeks long-term investment ties and trade with Taiwan. According to Guatemalan Economy Minister, Janio Rosales, Guatemala does not have any debt-related problems in its country. He suggested that the country wishes to look towards a more balanced trade.
Republic of Taiwan
The country has been using a stylized name for its official purposes, calling itself the ‘Republic of China, Taiwan’. Taiwan’s president also visited Guatemala early this month. In the three-day visit to the country, the president made efforts to deepen the ties with Guatemala. This included a $4 million agreement between the two nations to bring modernization to the rural areas.
The two countries also pledged to promote and support each other. Before this visit, Tsai had also stopped in New York to meet US officials, which infuriated China. China has previously warned repeated times the US not to engage with Taiwan’s representatives. It has also suggested Guatemala not to help Taiwan in its independence or sovereign call, prior to the president’s visit to the country.
Source: The Guardian
The presidents of Taiwan and Guatemala shook hands on April 2 in front of the stone pyramid El Gran Jaguar in Guatemala, pledging their support for the other. Simultaneously, Honduras President Xiomara Castro is expected to pay a visit to China soon. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ming announced last month that the country will be welcoming Honduras to discuss high-level exchanges and advancements.
China
China claims its sovereignty and authority over Taiwan after the reunification. It had also previously repressed the democratic activities in Taiwan or any demand for independence. The first trip by the Guatemalan president comes into the foreground as Honduras abandons its support for Taiwan against aid from China. This shift in the diplomatic allies also led people to accuse China of ‘dollar diplomacy’, according to sources. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated on April 19 that any move that disrupts international justice or sides with the wrong position is doomed to failure.
Source: NPR
The visit also becomes significant as China had particularly warned Guatemala against helping any ‘independence attempts’ by the Taiwanese authority. The ‘one-China’ norm is an accepted principle within international diplomatic relations.
