The government of the People’s Republic of China is now pushing to forge ties with the Dominican Republic and the Latin American region due to President-elect Donald Trump’s call with Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen.
Trump’s 10-minute call to Tsai following the election was viewed was viewed as a break away from the U.S.’ decade-long commitment to the “one China” policy of Beijing, which views Taiwan as merely a province of the country, and not an independent nation.
The call has apparently angered China as it signifies the independence of Taiwan as a country. As a result, Beijing is now looking to establish diplomatic ties with Latin America, a region that is starting to veer away from the U.S. due to Trump’s proposed policies.
“It’s a shot across the bow from China, saying, ‘We won’t go quietly on the Taiwan issue, and we can get allies in other parts of the world that used to be in your sphere,” Jorge Guajardo, the former ambassador of Mexico to China said according to Miami Herald.
Aside from finding other allies, China intends to respond to the issue by intimidating Taiwan. According to Express, Beijing officials are planning on carrying out war games near Taiwan and imposing various measures to limit the economic capabilities of Taipei.
If China is able to establish a deal with the Dominican Republic, then other Latin American nations will most likely follow in the same path. This move by Beijing to look for new allies in the region clearly shows that China is actively looking for other countries that will support its national interests.
Whether aggravating China through the call with Taiwan was deliberate or not, Trump has always been very stern regarding his stance on the U.S. government’s ties with Beijing. Even before winning the election, Trump has been questioning the country’s commitment to maintaining political and economic ties with China. For instance, one of his campaign promises was imposing huge taxes on U.S. companies that outsource production and manufacturing in China.
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