Guatemala vowed to back Taiwan for the long haul on Tuesday at a moment when analysts say mainland China is peeling away the island democracy’s support from a small number of nations — especially in Latin America.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei pledged unconditional support for Taiwan during an official visit. The move comes weeks after Honduras ended its recognition of Taiwan, which sparked outrage among Taiwanese leaders. The leaders said Honduran officials demanded “billions of dollars” to continue backing the island in the face of pressure from China.
Competition between China and Taiwan is playing out in a Cold War-style battle for influence in Latin America, where China’s ruling Communist Party has made major inroads.
China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has been stepping up efforts to isolate it internationally. Analysts say that means targeting the island’s allies in Latin America.
Guatemala is one of a dwindling number of nations that have official relations with Taipei instead of Beijing. U.S. and European officials have made high-profile visits to Taiwan over the past year to show support. However, the EU and U.S. technically have official diplomatic relations with China, not Taiwan.
Taiwan is recognized diplomatically by just 13 nations. Guatemala is biggest, the others in the region are Belize, Paraguay, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
“I would like to appeal to the international community and the free world that we should strive to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mr. Giammattei said in a speech to Taiwan’s legislature Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
The Guatemalan president expressed a “rock-solid friendship” with Taiwan.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and Belize this month on a tour aimed at bolstering relations. In Guatemala, Ms. Tsai visited a rural hospital built with a donation from Taiwan.
Ms. Tsai’s trip included a stop in California where she met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The move drew condemnations from China, which responded with increased military exercises near Taiwan.
The status of Taiwan has been an increasingly heated friction point since last August when China responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — the highest U.S. official to travel to Taipei in a quarter-century — by dramatically expanding the scope of its military drills and missile tests near the island.
The Biden administration has responded with increased U.S. military moves in the Pacific and ramped-up joint exercises with democratic allies on China’s periphery, including South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Philippines.
The issue of Taiwan’s status has become more vexing for Washington. Since 2019, the Xi government began saying it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under its control.
President Biden has said publicly that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from mainland China.
At the same time, administration officials have said the U.S. remains committed to the One China policy, under which Washington has long acknowledged Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China. Though the U.S. maintains informal diplomatic relations and substantial defense ties with Taipei, it does not technically recognize Chinese sovereignty.
Taiwan and the U.S. have close economic ties. American companies rely heavily on Taiwan, the world’s leading manufacturer of semiconductor chips, which are vital to the production of smartphones, laptops, refrigerators and other everyday goods. The U.S. defense industry also relies on the chips.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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