Taipei, Oct 12: Taiwan's dwindling number of official diplomatic allies shrank by one today as war-ravaged Liberia switched ties to the island's biggest rival China, officials said. "I just received the phone call. The news has been confirmed," Taiwanese Foreign Minister Eugene Chien told reporters. "They haven't announced it yet, but it will come soon." Chien accused China of using its influence in the United Nations to pressurise Liberia to cut relations with Taiwan. He said China, a member of the UN Security Council, has threatened to interfere with the budget for UN peacekeepers in Liberia. Losing the west African nation's support continued a trend that's worrisome for Taiwan, which in recent years has been shedding allies faster than it can replace them. Without Liberia, Taiwan's government is only recognised by 26 nations - most of them small, developing countries in Africa and Latin America. Many of the allies receive generous amounts of aid in exchange for their support.
Taiwan seeks formal diplomatic ties to bolster its claim that the island is a sovereign nation and not part of china, just 160 km across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949.
Beijing insists that self-governed, democratic Taiwan is part of its territory. China has successfully used its political and economic influence to pressure most nations from recognizing Taiwan.
Bureau Report