Guatemala leader in Taiwan expresses ‘rock-solid friendship’

The president of Guatemala appealed to other governments to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty during an official visit yesterday at a time when China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up efforts to isolate the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own territory.

President Alejandro Giammattei’s government is one of a dwindling number that have official relations with Taipei instead of Beijing.

Legislators from the United States and Europe have visited to show support in the face of Beijing’s attempts to intimidate the island, but their governments have official relations with China, not Taiwan.

“I would like to appeal to the international community and the free world that we should strive to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mattei said in a speech to Taiwan’s legislature. He expressed “rock-solid friendship” with Taiwan.

Mattei said his visit was a “demonstration of our firm support for your country and our commitment to defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity, and our firm opposition to aggression.”

President Xi Jinping’s government has flown fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan in increasing numbers and fired missiles into the sea in an attempt to intimidate the island.

The number of governments that deal with Taiwan as a national government is shrinking as Beijing and Taipei compete for recognition from small, mostly poor countries in Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific with infusions of aid and investment.

The United States and all European governments except tiny Vatican City have no official relations with Taiwan, a center for high-tech industry and one of the biggest global traders, but maintain extensive commercial and informal ties.

Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and Belize this month on a tour aimed at shoring up relations with the handful of governments that recognize Taiwan. In Guatemala, Tsai visited a rural hospital built with a donation from Taiwan.

Earlier, Honduras announced it was switching recognition to Beijing following the announcement that a Chinese company would build a $300 million hydroelectric dam project in central Honduras.

US governor meets Tsai in trade mission

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin met with the leader of Taiwan earlier this week to discuss mutual trade and investment initiatives and other business matters, his office said, and he signed an executive order establishing an economic development office in Taipei.

The visit by Youngkin, who has been considered a possible 2024 presidential contender and has not publicly ruled out a run, came on Day 1 of his first international trade mission — and amid heightened tensions between the United States and China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and treats dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge.

Following his meeting with Tsai Ing-wen, the Republican governor, along with the rest of the Virginia delegation, is also expected to visit Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea, as the trade mission continues this week.

“I was thrilled to meet with [leader] Tsai to strengthen Virginia’s decades-old partnership with Taiwan,” Youngkin, a former private equity executive, said in a statement. “As a former business leader, I appreciate the commitment to excellence that Taiwan demonstrates across sectors. They are an important training partner and model of prosperity for nations across the globe.”

According to Youngkin’s office, Virginia exported $730 million in products to Taiwan in 2022 and imported $1 billion in goods.

Youngkin’s executive order says the Taipei trade office will represent Virginia in Taiwan and “offer services related to economic development and trade.” The state has similar international offices in Germany, Japan and South Korea.  JOHNSON LAI, TAIPEI, MDT/AP