“Taiwan will never compete against Beijing in dollar diplomacy ... this is not how we engage in diplomatic relationships. What’s more, China’s promise of aid is often an empty check,” Tsai said, referring to China’s pattern of providing investments and loans to Taiwan’s allies so they will switch their diplomatic ties.
Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said in a statement that Taipei would immediately close its embassy in the Solomon Islands and recall all its diplomats.
Taiwan now has only 16 international diplomatic allies. After Tsai took office in 2016, Beijing has ramped up pressure on the self-ruled island’s allies in an attempt to diminish Taiwan’s presence on the international stage.
The Chinese regime considers Taiwan part of its territory despite the fact that the island is a full-fledged democracy with its own elected officials, military, and currency.
Tsai is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which traditionally advocates for the island to formally declare independence from the mainland, though she has said she wishes to maintain the status quo.
El Salvador, Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and São Tomé and Príncipe all switched diplomatic ties to Beijing after 2016.
“In the past few years, China has resorted to money and political pressure to suppress Taiwanese’s international space,” Tsai said.
“We want to give our utmost condemnation. This is not only a threat to Taiwan, but it is also an open challenge and dismantling of international order.”
There were unconfirmed Taiwanese media reports that Beijing had promised to offer the Solomon Islands $500 million in aid once the island decided to switch diplomatic recognition.
Tsai didn’t address the reports, but warned that Beijing will likely apply even more pressure in the near future, in an attempt to influence Taiwan’s upcoming elections.
Taiwan will hold presidential and legislative elections in January 2020; Tsai will be running for her reelection.
By reducing the number of Taiwan allies and putting pressure on the DPP, Beijing is effectively swaying public opinion against DPP candidates and for DPP’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which leans pro-Beijing.
Tsai said that Beijing’s tactic of withering down Taiwan’s allies was for the purpose of pressing the island into accepting the “one country, two systems” model. However, she said that Taiwanese people’s rejection of the model is the “biggest consensus on the island.”
“Taiwan has never lowered its head after encountering setbacks in the international community,” the press release stated. “We will let the international community realize that, compared to authoritarian expansionists, Taiwan is at the forefront of democracy, and it will be steadily become a global model for democracy.”