Twelve of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have spoken up at the UN about their “serious concern” over China’s recent military exercises.
Beijing launched unprecedented war games around Taiwan early in August — shortly after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a historic visit to the island.
Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — including Guatemala, Haiti and Paraguay, among others — accuse China of undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the countries’ UN ambassadors said Beijing is putting the region’s peace and stability in danger.
Of the 14 countries that have full diplomatic ties with Taiwan, only two did not sign the statement. One, the Vatican, is not a full member of the UN. But the other, Honduras, is.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said during her leadership campaign that she would break ties with Taiwan and establish relations with China. But she backtracked after winning the election, and Honduras continues to maintain official relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry has welcomed the statement of support at the UN. It’s calling on the international community to tell China to stop its military coercion of Taiwan.
