President Tsai’s Flexible Diplomacy Game Ends in Checkmate

 President Tsai’s Flexible Diplomacy Game Ends in Checkmate

 United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

June 14, 2017

 Translation of an Except

Six months after Sao Tome and Principe broke diplomatic ties with us at the end of last year, Panama President Varela declared that Panama and the Chinese Mainland had established diplomatic relations. This is the second diplomatic partner that Taiwan has lost since President Tsai assumed office a year ago. In this second move, Mainland China chose Panama, which had had a century of diplomatic history and friendship with our country; it is tantamount to manifest its impatience with the Tsai government’s cross-Strait policy, hence this heavy blow.

In fact, rumors about Panama breaking ties with us had circulated for more than a decade, but the bleeding was stopped after efforts of rescue. During the Ma administration, Panama had intended to switch ties to China; however, because at the time cross-Strait relations were warming up, Beijing rejected Panama’s overtures under a tacit accord of a diplomatic truce. Thus, Ma Ying-jeou used flexible diplomacy to achieve a diplomacy truce; this strategy was effective. Lamentably, Tsai Ying-wen didn’t see it this way.

With regard to the rupture of diplomatic ties between the Republic of China and Panama, we feel it is deeply regrettable; however, we don’t think our countrymen should feel sorrow or fury in the face of the incident. More importantly, the public should realize that the Tsai government's foreign and cross-Strait policies have come to their wit’s end. Despite the fact that Tsai Ing-wen declared that her path was "steadfast diplomacy," in actual practice, we cannot see its wholehearted steadfastness, while deviating from the goal of "maintaining the status quo," and even undermining Taiwan's economy/trade, diplomatic interests, and national dignity. The people can tighten their belts, helping President Tsai by supporting her quixotic position of refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus. People can swallow the bitterness and depression of the rupture of diplomatic ties, helping the DPP to defend national dignity about which they themselves could not elucidate. However, besides spouting political slogans, what has the government been doing to care for the welfare of the people and the future of the country?

If the Tsai government's cross-Strait and foreign policies do not change course, the dominoes will continue to fall. During the Ma administration, we secured "flexible diplomacy" for Taiwan based on the 1992 Consensus; it was precisely relying on the shared goodwill connections out of cross-Strait reconciliation, dooming Panama's attempts to break off ties with us. Regrettably, Tsai Ying-wen refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, with some actions deemed by Beijing as Taiwan independence in camouflage, thus flexible diplomacy ended in checkmate.

Beijing slashed two diplomatic partners from Taiwan; in fact, this could not be considered as too rash on Beijing’s part. The six months’ wait from Sao Tome to Panama was in actuality a delay for Tsai Ying-wen to exhibit goodwill in her anniversary speech for inauguration on May 20^th; Beijing’s hope was in vain. After Panama, will we have the luxury of another six months before the next domino falls?

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