Washington Can Help Taiwan by Increasing Engagement in Western Hemisphere

Honduras is hardly the first country in recent years to ditch Taiwan in exchange for alluring promises of enhanced trade and investment ties with the world's second-largest economy. If all of Taiwan's diplomatic partners eventually jump ship, Beijing's oft-cited line that Taiwan is universally recognized as a part of China will technically be true. It's in America's interest to help Taiwan preserve its diplomatic relations. Washington can only engage Taipei unofficially: Countless official statements from Beijing indicate that it would likely respond to any U.S. diplomatic recognition of Taiwan with military force, and given the stakes, neither of Taiwan's main political parties would support recognition. The only effective way to help Taiwan maintain a degree of formal recognition is to help it preserve the diplomatic partners it currently has. While Taiwan is able to give its partners loans and other kinds of aid, China provides the infrastructure investment, export markets, and political support in international organizations that these countries require to meet their development needs. If Washington wants to support Taiwan, the first thing it should do is reengage with the developing world, and especially with countries that currently recognize Taipei.