{"id":55970,"date":"2020-05-19T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T20:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=55970"},"modified":"2020-05-18T22:43:44","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T12:43:44","slug":"the-taipei-act-supporting-taiwan-in-a-covid-19-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-taipei-act-supporting-taiwan-in-a-covid-19-world\/","title":{"rendered":"The TAIPEI Act: supporting Taiwan in a Covid-19 world"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

China\u2019s longstanding campaign to isolate Taiwan has intensified since Xi Jinping took power in 2012. However, as Beijing has been upping the ante against Taipei, the United States has worked hard to create more space for Taiwan in world affairs. Washington has also been marshalling its democratic partners to support Taipei. Meanwhile, Taiwan\u2019s success in managing the Covid-19 pandemic has improved its international reputation and slowed Beijing\u2019s efforts to diminish Taipei\u2019s status.<\/p>\n

In March 2020, the US enacted the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act of 2019<\/a>. The law, known as the TAIPEI Act, makes clear Washington\u2019s intention to advocate \u2018for Taiwan\u2019s membership in all international organizations in which statehood is not a requirement\u2019 and \u2018for Taiwan to be granted observer status in other appropriate international organizations\u2019.<\/p>\n

The US\u2019s declaration of support for Taiwan to formally play an international role couldn\u2019t be more timely<\/a>. Taipei\u2019s successful early measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 provided a textbook example<\/a> of how a government should respond to a pandemic. As soon as the first cases emerged out of Wuhan, Taiwan implemented a coordinated response<\/a> that involved effective contact tracing, a strong testing regime and accurate daily press briefings. Confirmed Covid-19 cases reached 440 on 7 May<\/a> and no new cases have been recorded since then. If one government were to be held up as a model<\/a> by international organisations, the strongest contender would be Taiwan.<\/p>\n

Despite Taipei\u2019s success in managing the pandemic, some international organisations show discomfort at any mention of Taiwan. In late January, the International Civil Aviation Organization began blocking Twitter accounts<\/a> when analysts, journalists and US congressional staffers suggested that Taiwan become a member. The move drew public outrage, but ICAO remained defiant<\/a>, saying that the blocked accounts were \u2018deemed to be purposefully and publicly misrepresenting our organization\u2019. The US State Department later issued a stern rebuke<\/a>, calling ICAO\u2019s actions \u2018outrageous, unacceptable, and not befitting of a UN organization\u2019. It\u2019s hard to argue with that criticism when you consider that Taiwan is excluded from ICAO despite its capital city being a major civil aviation hub.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization has been subject to more pointed criticism. While Taipei isn\u2019t formally a member, the Taiwanese government still has been a source of insight into the virus and into best practices for managing and controlling the pandemic. Yet WHO officials find it difficult to acknowledge this, and some struggle to even mention the word Taiwan.<\/p>\n

When pressed about the WHO\u2019s engagement with Taiwan<\/a> by a Hong Kong journalist, a senior WHO official pretended not to hear the question and hung up the phone. When the journalist called again to ask about Taiwan, the WHO official ignored the question and talked about how well China had done to contain Covid-19. The sorry display showed the world exactly why the WHO needs to start listening to Taiwanese voices.<\/p>\n

The TAIPEI Act was enacted to assist Taiwan to more readily contribute to the international community. A greater Taiwanese presence in international organisations is one part of that story. Strengthening Taiwan\u2019s partnerships with the 15 countries that currently recognise its sovereign status is another part.<\/p>\n

The TAIPEI Act attempts to strengthen Taiwan\u2019s diplomatic relationships with its 15 partners by doing what Washington does best: deter and coerce. If any one of the 15 stops recognising Taipei\u2019s sovereignty, Washington will reduce its diplomatic engagement<\/a> with that country as a consequence.<\/p>\n

Helping Taiwan strengthen relationships with its diplomatic partners<\/a> couldn\u2019t be more urgent. Since 2016, eight countries across Africa, Latin America and the Pacific islands\u2014including Panama<\/a>, El Salvador<\/a>, Solomon Islands and Kiribati<\/a>\u2014have transferred diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Economic inducements have been a primary element in Beijing\u2019s campaign. Some are now worried that the Vatican<\/a> or Tuvalu<\/a> could be next to recognise Beijing.<\/p>\n

Arresting Taiwan\u2019s diplomatic misfortune is a tough ask. For the TAIPEI Act to work, Washington will need to do more than foreshadowing reduced support if nations flip to recognise Beijing or pressuring international organisations into accepting Taipei\u2019s membership. The US will need to rekindle its powers of persuasion.<\/p>\n

Therein lies the trouble. The US is mishandling<\/a> its own outbreak of Covid-19. The Trump administration began by downplaying the severity<\/a> of the pandemic and decided to focus on criticising China<\/a>\u2014for political and sensible reasons alike. Washington has also failed to play its leadership role of coordinating a global response to Covid-19, leaving the WHO subject to Chinese Communist Party influence during the early stages of the crisis.<\/p>\n

Given the unique challenge<\/a> that Covid-19 poses to American leadership, the TAIPEI Act shows foresight in acknowledging that Washington alone can\u2019t keep Taiwan afloat in the world. The act recognises that \u2018Australia, India, Japan, and other countries are of significant benefit in strengthening Taiwan\u2019s economy and preserving its international space.\u2019 Clearly, Washington is relying on its allies and partners to do some heavy lifting.<\/p>\n

Australia is stepping up to the mark. Facing threats of economic coercion from China, Australia played an important role in persuading 116 countries<\/a> to co-sponsor a motion in support of an international inquiry into Covid-19 that will be put before the World Health Assembly<\/a> during its meeting in Geneva on 18\u201319 May. If the motion is upheld, Australia will be in a great position to build another coalition that backs Taiwan\u2019s meaningful participation in the WHO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Like its support for a credible international inquiry into Covid-19, Australia should advocate for Taiwan\u2019s meaningful participation in the WHO because Taipei can offer valuable experience and expertise that will advance the international public interest. Australia won\u2019t be the only nation supporting Taiwan for this reason.<\/p>\n

Australia can also do more to support the objectives of the TAIPEI Act. Australia could work collaboratively with Taiwan on Covid-19 aid projects as part of the government\u2019s \u2018Pacific step-up\u2019. Exchanges between Australian Defence Department officials and their counterparts in Taiwan could also be promoted through Track 2 or Track 1.5 dialogues, which is all well within the joint communiqu\u00e9<\/a> between Australia and the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/p>\n

Australia has an interest in ensuring that the TAIPEI Act meets its objectives. The Covid-19 crisis has shown that a world without Taiwan\u2019s contributions is poorer and less secure. As a good international citizen, Australia needs to help Taiwan realise its potential as a productive member of the international community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

China\u2019s longstanding campaign to isolate Taiwan has intensified since Xi Jinping took power in 2012. However, as Beijing has been upping the ante against Taipei, the United States has worked hard to create more space …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":592,"featured_media":55973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[52,2658,392],"class_list":["post-55970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-china","tag-coronavirus","tag-taiwan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe TAIPEI Act: supporting Taiwan in a Covid-19 world | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-taipei-act-supporting-taiwan-in-a-covid-19-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The TAIPEI Act: supporting Taiwan in a Covid-19 world | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"China\u2019s longstanding campaign to isolate Taiwan has intensified since Xi Jinping took power in 2012. 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