US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in a visit that has been strongly condemned by China. Ms Pelosi, the most senior US politician in 25 years to visit Taiwan since House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s trip in 1997, said her delegation had come to make it “unequivocally clear” that the US would not “abandon” the island.
- China had earlier warned that the US would “pay the price” for Ms Pelosi’s visit.
Taiwan and One-China Policy
- Taiwan is self-ruled, but China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually unite with it.
- The US abides by the “One China” policy which recognises only one Chinese government – and has formal ties with Beijing and not Taiwan. But it also maintains a “robust unofficial” relationship with the island. That includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.
- China pretends that Taiwan is currently part of its territory, even though the island collects its own taxes, votes in its own government, issues its own passports and has its own military.
India and Taiwan
- India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan yet, as it follows the One-China policy. However, during then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in December 2010, India did not mention support for the One-China policy in the joint communique.
- In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, he invited Taiwan’s Ambassador Chung-Kwang Tien, along with Lobsang Sangay, president of the Central Tibetan Administration to his swearing-in.
- While following the One-China policy, India has an office in Taipei for diplomatic functions — India-Taipei Association (ITA) is headed by a senior diplomat.
- Taiwan has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi. Both were established in 1995.
- Their ties focus on commerce, culture and education.
- In recent years, India has tried to play up its relationship with Taiwan, as its ties with China have been strained.
- In 2020, after the Galwan clashes, New Delhi handpicked diplomat Gourangalal Das — then joint secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs — to become its envoy in Taipei.
- On May 20 that year, the BJP asked two of its MPs, Meenakshi Lekhi and Rahul Kaswan, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen through virtual mode.
- In August 2020, condoling the death of former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, India described him as “Mr Democracy”.
