Taiwan’s Thinly Weaved Diplomatic Web

The past week has been one of suspense as U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi deliberated over whether or not to stop in Taiwan on her tour of Asia. After arriving, the US legislator said that the United States "will not abandon" the island, which is autonomous and democratically governed, but as a part of China is at risk of having that right revoked. With the Russian War in Ukraine and the Chinese government’s relatively restrained stance on the issue, many international analysts wonder whether Beijing plans to regain control of the province, only separated from mainland China by the Strait of Taiwan.

With the power that China holds on the international stage, the Taiwanese government can only count on the official support of a few small states around the world. Currently, only 14 independent countries recognize the Taipei government and dare to challenge mainland China's position by establishing diplomatic relations with the island, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The majority (eight states) are located in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti. Taiwan's other four allies are island nations in Southeast Asia, namely Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. This list is rounded off with the Kingdom of Eswatini [страна между Мозамбиком и Южной Африкой, бывший Свазиленд], located in Africa, and the Vatican City State, in Europe.