Guatemala pledges support for Taiwan, China accuses island of 'political manipulation' (updated)

China Reinsurance (Group)

30/08/2022 09:35

(Adds China foreign ministry comments)
    By Ben Blanchard and Eduardo Baptista
    TAIPEI/BEIJING, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Guatemalan Foreign
Minister Mario Bucaro said on Tuesday that the Central American
country will "always support" Taiwan, after China conducted its
largest-ever military drills around the self-ruled island
earlier this month. 
    Meeting Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential
office in Taipei, Bucaro said that Guatemala and Taiwan were
"like-minded countries" united by a "democratic alliance".
    "Guatemala will always support Taiwan because we have a firm
belief in the principles of peace, sovereignty, and territorial
integrity," said Bucaro.
    "Peace is non-negotiable, but especially sovereignty is
non-negotiable." 
    The remarks come just a few weeks after Beijing concluded a
barrage of military drills around Taiwan in response to a visit
to the island in early August by U.S. House of Representatives
Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
    The official did not mention China in his remarks but said
his visit to the self-ruled island was about "telling the world
the importance of showing solidarity to the people of Taiwan, in
the belief that only dialogue can prevail in the face of any
conflict."
    China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a
daily briefing that authorities in Taiwan's ruling Democratic
Progressive Party were deceiving themselves using "diplomatic
ties for political manipulation", which "cannot stop the
historical inevitability of China's reunification".
    Zhao urged Guatemala to make decisions "in line with the
historical trend."
    Tsai noted in her remarks that Taiwan was the first "Asian
country" Bucaro visited since being appointed foreign minister
and thanked Guatemala for its diplomatic support in the wake of
China's military drills. 
    Guatemala is one of only 14 countries to retain formal
diplomatic ties with Taiwan and one of three allies left in
Central America, the other two being Honduras and Belize.
    China views democratically ruled Taiwan as one of its
provinces with no right to the trappings of a state, a view
Taiwan's government strongly disputes, and has been stepping up
pressure to win over the island's remaining friends.
    In December, China re-established ties with Nicaragua, and
the government has openly said it is gunning to bring down the
number to zero.
    The issue has broader geopolitical implications as the
United States has been concerned about China stepping up its
activities in Central America.
    In the run-up to the November presidential election in
Honduras, a visiting U.S. delegation made clear it wanted the
Central American country to maintain its Taiwan relations.
    Now-President Xiomara Castro, who had floated the idea of
ditching Taipei for Beijing during the election campaign, has
subsequently stood by Taiwan.

 (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Eduardo Baptista; Editing by
Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
 ((ben.blanchard@thomsonreuters.com;))