2023-04-25 07:12:01
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Guatemala’s president urged other governments to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty during an official visit Tuesday, as the Communist Party of China redoubles its efforts to isolate the self-ruled island that Beijing claims. as part of its territory.
The government of Alejandro Giammattei is one of the few that maintains official relations with Taipei instead of with Beijing. Lawmakers from the United States and Europe have visited the island to show their support for China’s intimidation attempts, but their governments have official relations with China.
Taiwan and China separated in 1949 after a civil war. Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the Communist Party maintains that it is bound to join the mainland, by force if necessary.
“I would like to appeal to the international community and the free world to strive to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mattei said in a speech to the Taiwanese legislature, where he also expressed “solid friendship” with the territory.
Mattei indicated that his visit was a “demonstration of our firm support for your country and our commitment to our defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity and our firm opposition to foreign aggression.”
President Xi Jinping’s government has flown increasing numbers of fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan and fired missiles into the sea in an attempt to intimidate the island.
The number of governments dealing with Taiwan as a state is shrinking as Beijing and Taipei compete for recognition of small, mostly poor countries in Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific with injections of aid and investment.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and Belize this month on a tour that sought to strengthen relations with the handful of countries that recognize Taiwan.
Honduras had earlier announced it was switching its recognition to Beijing following the announcement that a Chinese company would build a $300 million hydroelectric dam in the center of the country.
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