China's suppression of Taiwan's international space will create more friends for Taiwan, scholar says

China's relentless efforts to suppress Taiwan's international space are proving to be counterproductive, potentially leading to Taiwan forging stronger international friendships, according to a scholar. Dong Li-wen, executive director of the Prospect Foundation, believes Beijing's current approach is an "indiscriminate attack" that targets anything related to Taiwan, regardless of whether it involves official or private entities, or Taiwanese or foreign individuals.

Dong's comments come in response to statements made by KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Chiang claimed Xi had a "positive response" to facilitating Taiwan's return to international organizations like the World Health Assembly (WHA) once cross-strait political trust is rebuilt. However, Dong pointed out that China's official records of the meeting did not mention this, making Chiang's assertion questionable.

Furthermore, Dong criticized Chiang's emphasis on "both sides of the strait belong to one China" during his US visit, arguing that such rhetoric provides a legal foundation for China's suppression of Taiwan's international participation. He suggested that statements like "Taiwan is part of China" and "Taiwan is China's internal affair" inadvertently aid Beijing's efforts.

Dong highlighted that China's aggressive tactics often backfire. He cited the example of China sanctioning US officials, including Senator Marco Rubio, which instead pushed these international figures closer to Taiwan. "China's actions will cause us (Taiwan) to have more friends," Dong stated, suggesting that Beijing's heavy-handed approach alienates potential allies and fosters greater support for Taiwan on the global stage.