Botswana has been drawn into a diplomatic confrontation between China and Taiwan after President Duma Boko reaffirmed Beijing’s claim over the self-governing island.
This follows a joint statement establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Gaborone and Beijing.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ‘strongly condemned’ the deal as it accuses China of exploiting bilateral engagements to spread what it describes as false claims about Taiwan’s sovereignty and pressuring other countries to endorse Beijing’s position.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ‘strongly condemned’ the deal as it accuses China of exploiting bilateral engagements to spread what it describes as false claims about Taiwan’s sovereignty and pressuring other countries to endorse Beijing’s position.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry urged Botswana to remain “objective and neutral” and warned against what it described as China’s deliberate political manipulation. The diplomatic fallout follows talks between Boko and Chinese President Xi Jinping which resulted in a joint statement committing the two countries to deeper strategic cooperation and mutual support on issues they consider central to their national interests. The controversy relates to Botswana’s explicit endorsement of the One-China principle, a longstanding pillar of its diplomatic relations with Beijing.
The joint statement declares that “there is but one China in the world” and that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” while recognising the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
Botswana also pledged to oppose any form of “Taiwan independence” as it support China’s efforts towards national reunification and uphold the authority of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. The statement further backs Beijing’s position that matters relating to Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong constitute China’s internal affairs.
Taiwan, however, has rejected the position in its entirety as it insists that it is a sovereign and independent country that has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China.
“The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country, not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said. It added that only a government formed through democratic procedures in Taiwan had the right to represent its people internationally.
Taiwan accused the Chinese Communist Party of using bilateral talks to secure endorsements from other countries, arguing that such statements undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and attempt to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
“Our country will never tolerate China repeatedly spreading false statements under the pretext of so-called bilateral statements,” the ministry declared.
The row also centres on the interpretation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, which recognised the representatives of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China at the United Nations and expelled the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek. China maintains that the resolution supports its One-China position. Taiwan, however, argues that the resolution did not explicitly determine Taiwan’s sovereignty or authorise Beijing to represent the island’s people. Taiwan accused Beijing of deliberately distorting the resolution and using its interpretation to undermine the international order.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges the Botswana government to remain objective and neutral, not blindly follow China’s deliberate political manipulations,” it said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges the Botswana government to remain objective and neutral, not blindly follow China’s deliberate political manipulations,” it said. Reports show that the warning places Botswana in the middle of an increasingly contentious geopolitical dispute involving China’s efforts to secure international backing for its reunification ambitions and Taiwan’s campaign to preserve its international standing.
Botswana has long maintained diplomatic relations with Beijing under the One-China framework. The agreement also commits Botswana and China to supporting each other on sovereignty, territorial integrity, national dignity, security, development and prosperity. But Taiwan has warned that the move could threaten regional peace although the immediate dispute centres on the diplomatic language adopted by Botswana and China.
