Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei urged other governments to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty during an official visit on Tuesday, as China steps up efforts to isolate the island that Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Giammattei’s government is one of the few to maintain official relations with Taipei rather than Beijing. Lawmakers from the United States and Europe have visited the island to show their support for China’s intimidation attempts, their governments’ official relationship is with China.
Taiwan and China separated in 1949 after a civil war. Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the Communist Party maintains that it is bound to join the mainland, by force if necessary.
“I would like to appeal to the international community and the free world to strive to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Taiwan,” Giammattei said in a speech to the Taiwanese legislature, where he also expressed “solid friendship” with the territory.
The Guatemalan president affirmed that his visit is a demonstration of “firm support for that country”, a “commitment” to the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “firm opposition to foreign aggression”.
President Xi Jinping’s government has flown increasing numbers of fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan and fired missiles into the sea in an attempt to intimidate the island.
The number of governments dealing with Taiwan as a state is shrinking as Beijing and Taipei compete for recognition of small, mostly poor countries in Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific with injections of aid and investment.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and Belize this month on a tour that sought to strengthen relations with the handful of countries that recognize Taiwan.
Honduras had earlier announced it was switching its recognition to Beijing following the announcement that a Chinese company would build a $300 million hydroelectric dam in the center of the country.
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