TAIPEI/BEIJING – Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro said Tuesday that the Central American country will “always support” Taiwan, after China conducted its military training on the autonomous island this month.
Meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential meeting in Taipei, Bucaro said Guatemala and Taiwan were “like-minded countries” united through a “democratic alliance. “
Sign up for the most productive stories from National Post, a department of Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on the way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder.
The next NP Published factor will soon be in your inbox.
We found a challenge with your registration. Check back
“Guatemala will help Taiwan because we firmly believe in the principles of peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Bucaro said.
“Peace is negotiable, but above all sovereignty is negotiable. “
The comments come just weeks after Beijing concluded a barrage of military training in Taiwan in response to a visit to the island in early August through U. S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The official did not mention China in his remarks, but said his stopover on the autonomous island was aimed at “telling the world the importance of showing solidarity with the Taiwanese people, convinced that only discussion can triumph in the face of any conflict. “. “
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily news conference that the government of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party was employing “diplomatic ties for political manipulation,” which “cannot save it from the age-old inevitability of China’s reunification. “
Zhao suggested that Guatemala make decisions “according to the old trend. “
Tsai noted in her remarks that Taiwan was the first “Asian country” visited through Bucaro since her appointment as foreign minister and thanked Guatemala for its diplomatic support following Chinese military exercises.
Guatemala is one of the 14 countries that have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan and one of the remaining 3 allies in Central America, the other two being Honduras and Belize.
China’s prospects democratically ruled Taiwan as one of its provinces with the right to state attributes, a view the Taiwanese government strongly questions and has intensified tension to win over the island’s remaining friends.
In December, China re-established relations with Nicaragua, and the government brazenly said it would shoot to reduce the number to zero.
The factor has broader geopolitical implications as the United States fears China will step up its activities in Central America.
In the run-up to the November presidential election in Honduras, a visiting U. S. delegation has made it clear that it needs the Central American country to establish relations with Taiwan.
Current President Xiomara Castro, who had floated the concept of leaving Taipei for Beijing on the campaign trail, then sided with Taiwan. (Reporting through Ben Blanchard and Eduardo Baptista; Editing through Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
Our predictions. . .
365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, ONTARIO M4W 3L4
© 2022 National Post, a department of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized broadcasting, transmission or transmission is strictly prohibited.
This uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads) and allows us to analyze our traffic. Learn more about cookies here. By continuing to use our Array, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.