Analysis | Taiwan’s president-elect Tsai Ing-wen has dilemma as Panama invites her and President Xi Jinping to same ceremony
Chance of the two leaders having an informal meeting during the event is ‘almost zero’, analysts say
Taiwan’s President-elect Tsai Ing-wen faces another sticky situation after the island’s long-time Latin American ally Panama invited both her and mainland China’s President Xi Jinping to the inauguration of the Panama Canal’s expansion one month after she assumes office in May.
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Analysts said while the possibility of a Tsai-Xi meeting was almost zero, the political meaning behind Panama’s invitation was worth considering as it was no secret Panama had long been keen to build up official ties with Beijing.
They warned that poor handling of the situation might deal Taiwan yet another diplomatic blow and sour cross-strait ties that have become warming since President Ma Ying-jeou, of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang, was elected in 2008.
Panama, one of only 22 allies that still maintain official ties with Taiwan, said on Friday it had invited leaders cross the Taiwan Strait to attend the event because “this is the inauguration of the expanded canal, and mainland China, as an important user, needs to attend”.
Beijing is waiting for Tsai to declare her cross-strait stand during her inaugural speech and if she is unable to provide an answer acceptable for the mainland side, we cannot rule out the possibility that [mainland] China might try to woo Panama to teach it a lesson
Taiwanese officials, including those from the outgoing Kuomintang government and the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which will soon replace the KMT as the government in May, have supported the idea that Tsai attend the event.
They said as an official ally it was Tsai’s obligation to consolidate ties with Panama, and her participation in the event as the island’s first female president would also sharply increase Taiwan’s international presence.
