TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — International law scholar and constitutional reform activist Raymond Sun (宋承恩) says Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies still have value, despite their dwindling numbers.
Sun joined Taiwan News for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of Taiwan’s international relations that covered the history and present-day value of the country’s formal diplomatic relationships.
“In the views of the majority of Taiwanese, our diplomatic recognition has nothing to do with which countries recognize the PRC (People’s Republic of China),” Sun said. Sun added this is a departure from the past, when the Republic of China (Taiwan) competed for recognition as the sole government of all of China.
“That legacy is really a fight between ideologies,” he said. Today, Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts have shifted over time to include a network of formal and informal relationships that serve the nation’s interests in different ways, he explained.
Sun also shared his thoughts on a scenario where Taiwan had no formal diplomatic allies, China’s attempts to use legal mechanisms to suppress Taiwan’s government, and the U.S. and Japanese stance on the issue. Sun also considers if China will ever change its decision-making on Taiwan.
After the loss of Nauru, and the precarious state of Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with Tuvalu, watch the full video below to gain an in-depth understanding of its diplomatic relations and place in the world.