Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The past month has been tumultuous for international relations. Panama switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in the middle of the month saw the number of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies reduced to 20. It was followed by the Nigerian government sending troops to seal off Taiwan’s trade office in Abuja, despite having already ordered the office’s relocation from the capital in January due to apparent pressure from China.

Ordinary Taiwanese have grown numb to the gradual, one-at-a-time drop in the number of diplomatic allies.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has caused a stir with comments he made in Shanghai.

In a speech at the Taipei-Shanghai Forum opening ceremony on Monday, Ko said: “The two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait are one family” and should establish “a community of common destiny.”

The dispute between Taiwan and China is like a “quarrel between a married couple,” he said.