China's new strategy? Southeast Asian countries & Kabul, Islamabad bats for One China policy after Taiwan elections

On Saturday, Taiwan held a general election in which pro-independence candidate Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party won with 40.05% of the vote to head the island's local administration.

It is pertinent to mention that Taiwan has been governed independently of mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan, a territory with its own elected government, maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.

Vietnam

"Reaffirming Viet Nam's steadfast adherence to 'One China' policy, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said Viet Nam does not develop any state-level relations with Taiwan," a statement on the Vietnamese government's news website read.

Vietnam "maintains and develops people-to-people and non-governmental relations with Taiwan" but also adheres to the principle of non-intervention in each other's internal affairs and believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are important both to the region and the world, the statement read.

Indonesia

Indonesia "is closely monitoring developments in Taiwan and continues to consistently adhere to the one-China principle," Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying on Sunday.

Tajikistan

Tajikistan, too, remains committed to the one-China principle and "strongly opposes any attempts of external interference into China's domestic affairs," the Central Asian country's foreign ministry said. "In light of so-called elections in China's Taiwan on January 13, 2024, Tajikistan strongly supports the 'one-China' policy and considers the Chinese government to be the only legitimate and representative government of the whole China," the statement read.

Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan

Earlier in the day, the Pacific island nation of Nauru announced it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and affirmed its support for the one-China principle.


Pakistan

“Pakistan’s policy on Taiwan is consistent, clear and principled. Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China. Pakistan adheres to One China Policy, and calls for non-interference in the domestic affairs of all countries as per principles and objectives enshrined in the UN Charter,“ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

The Taliban-controlled Afghanistan government said on Sunday it is “committed to ‘One China’ principle and considers interference in China’s internal affairs provocative and detrimental to regional peace and stability.”


Maldives

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu after returning from his state visit to China on Saturday emphasized his country’s "One China” policy, saying relations between the two countries are based on “mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal matters."