Former Foreign Minister Warns of Domino Effect|台薩斷交連鎖效應? 前外長:中美洲危險

There is fear that a domino effect would begin after El Salvador cut off its ties with the R.O.C.. Former Foreign Affairs Minister Francisco Ou said the other two countries from the so called "northern triangle" of Central America, namely Honduras and Guatemala could be the next. Some lawmakers, meanwhile, said the current Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu should be accountable and resign, as three allies have been lost since he took office just six months ago.


El Salvador's Foreign Minister Carlos Castaneda and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sign a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren later announced El Salvador was severing ties with the R.O.C. on national television.

El Salvador recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of all of China. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
San Salvador Mayor Ernesto Muyshondt has criticized the ruling party for severing ties with a diplomatic nation in favor of an authoritarian regime, saying it was too hasty of a decision.

It is regrettable that the ruling party decided to sever ties with a free, democratic country and establish foreign relations with an authoritarian regime instead.

President Tsai Ing-wen has lost five diplomatic allies in her two years in office, including three that have been lured away since Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu took office six months ago. The pan-blue camp is calling for Wu's resignation and criticizing the Tsai administration for its diplomatic overreliance on the U.S. and the deterioration of cross-strait relations. Former Foreign Affairs Minister Francisco Ou says the loss of El Salvador may set off a chain reaction that sees the R.O.C. losing Honduras and Guatemala as allies as well.

Do you think a new foreign minister would change anything? It wouldn't. The keys here are the 1992 Consensus, cross-strait relations, and Tsai Ing-wen. We need a new president, not a new foreign minister, to solve this problem.

Countries that establish diplomatic relations with China may influence others to do the same. A domino effect in Central America is very possible.

In the past, Tsai has never uttered the name "Republic of China," choosing to only use the term "Taiwan" in statements. In the official announcement about El Salvador severing ties with the R.O.C., Tsai broke with her own convention and referred to the island as "Republic of China, Taiwan" several times. This was seen as a sign that she is trying to replace her cross-strait strategy with a dual recognition model.

The name "Republic of China, Taiwan" is a common divisor right now in Taiwan. By using this name, (she is) hoping that Taiwan can have a unified approach when dealing with other countries so the name issue doesn't cause further problems domestically.

On the 21st, the U.S. State Department said it was "deeply disappointed" in El Salvador and is "reviewing" its relationship with the Central American nation. The U.S. also accused China of changing the status quo and called on Beijing to stop threatening the people of Taiwan.