TAIWAN’S CHARM OFFENSIVE

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met with Caribbean leaders last month, making official visits to St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti. She also made a brief stop in the United States as the diplomatic party transited through North America. The trip, which was announced with great fanfare and widely covered by international media, is part of a bigger effort — Taiwan’s diplomatic mission to shore up its ties across the globe. 

In this charm offensive, it makes sense for the tiny Asian territory to focus on the Caribbean where it has been battling its long-time enemy China for investments and influence. If diplomacy is political warfare then the Caribbean is a significant front for both nations, and the islands are reaping the rewards of the skirmish with investments pouring into infrastructure, education, health and tourism.

NATIONS AT ODDS

Animosity between Taiwan and China has been bubbling for centuries but came to a head during the Chinese Civil War when the Communist Party seized power. The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 and set up a ROC-led state in opposition to the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan boomed, entering a period of economic growth through the 1950s and 60s. Today the island state has around 23 million inhabitants and a multi-party democracy. However, China still refuses to recognise it as a self-governing province and views the Taiwanese government as traitorous upstarts. 

With powerful allies such as the United States following the ‘One China’ line, Taiwan has been politically isolated. It has formal relationships with just 17 countries, most of which are other small islands. Gaining international support is crucial to Taiwan’s survival, particularly as Beijing ups the pressure, sending warships to perform ‘military drills’ at the Taiwanese border and actively condemning it in the international community. In January Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech reiterating his goal of bringing Taiwan back into the fold, by force if necessary. More recently Taiwan stirred the waters further by weighing in on the Hong Kong protests, calling for legitimate elections to be held to deepen Hong Kong’s autonomy from China and sheltering of political asylum seekers.

President Tsai Ing-wen has always taken a confrontational line with China. The Taiwanese leader, who is up for re-election in January, is now pushing hard to extend Taiwan’s meagre influence, relying on longstanding partners in the Latin America and Caribbean region to boost her global credentials. This latest mission follows a tour of allies in the Pacific, with stops in Palau, Nauru and the Marshall Islands.

REGIONAL FOOTHOLD

The conflict between China and Taiwan has been particularly apparent in the Caribbean. China has been very active in snatching up potential allies, making investments, gifts and diplomatic overtures to most of the region’s states. It is particularly embedded in The Bahamas and Jamaica, funding energy projects, mega resorts and infrastructure initiatives. Five Caribbean countries have signed on to China’s Belt and Road initiative, borrowing money for infrastructure works, including Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda. And last year China welcomed a new friend into the fold when the Dominican Republic received a US$ 600mn loan for its national grid.

By comparison, Taiwan has been concentrating on its small but loyal band of Caribbean supporters, which includes staunch ally Saint Lucia. Over the years Saint Lucia has received a myriad of investments from Taiwan and, in return, has proved a tenacious advocate for the small province, supporting its independence and recognising its legitimacy in a number of global forums including the World Health Assembly and the United Nations.

 According to Taiwanese officials, the theme of last month’s tour was “Freedom, democracy and sustainable governance”. In Castries, discussions centred around foreign investment and tourism. The Taiwanese delegation visited various sites to see their investments in action, including the St Jude Hospital Redevelopment Project, the Gros Islet Human Resource Development Centre and the Inland Reception and Distribution Centre. A tourism delegation accompanied the party to discuss links with the tourism sector, going forward. 

The Taiwanese group mingled with agricultural workers, schoolchildren, entertainers and parliamentarians. It was a busy few days with plenty of photo opportunities, banquets and project launches. Addressing Saint Lucia’s Parliament, President Tsai recalled Prime Minister Chastanet’s state visit to Taiwan last year and referred to him and members of his government as “old friends”. She continued: “Saint Lucia has long been a staunch ally in the Caribbean. I want to thank all of you for your courageous support. I hope you will continue to stand by us. Taiwan has much more to contribute.”

WINNING VOTES

Heading into an election year, President Tsai Ing-wen needed a big win on her Caribbean tour. While much was made of the delegation’s stops in America and whether that heralded a softening of relations between the US and Taiwan, the Caribbean leg was equally successful and equally important. 

The President’s main opponent in the 2020 election is an advocate of closer ties with Beijing. To secure a second term, Tsai must win over voters unsure of Taiwan’s resilience to the ever-present threat of Chinese unification and demonstrate that the island can step out from China’s shadow on the global stage. By reconnecting with small but strategic allies like Saint Lucia, and pushing for more alliances across the Caribbean in the fields of energy, infrastructure, technology and tourism, Tsai is continuing her aggressive moves towards more economic and political freedom and framing herself as a leader with a firm grip on future progress.