Transit diplomacy

For the international relations concept related to migration, see Migration diplomacy.

Transit diplomacy (Chinese: 過境外交), or stopover diplomacy, is a foreign policy approach in the context of Taiwan–United States relations wherein Taiwanese leaders make a stop in the United States during a tour or visit to Taiwan's formal diplomatic allies. Since United States severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1979, the Taiwanese government has not been able to formally conduct diplomatic exchanges with the U.S. Presidents or vice presidents have since make "stopovers" in the U.S. as part of a broader visit to diplomatic allies in order to meet with U.S. officials.

Background

In 1979, the United States recognized the PRC and severed ties with the Taiwanese government, ending official contacts between Taiwan and the U.S.

In 1994, Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui was on a trip to Costa Rica and requested a brief stopover in Hawaii. The Clinton administration permitted his flight to be refueled but refused to let him enter Honolulu to spend a night. Additionally, the reception for Lee was going to take place in a small dingy room in Hickam Air Force Base. This angered Lee, and in protest, he refused to disembark the plane. When the U.S. representative boarded the plane to greet him, Lee was in his sweater and slippers. Lee refused to meet the representative at the door, as he stated sarcastically, "I might slip and enter America."[1]

In 1995, after president Lee Teng-hui visited his alma mater Cornell University, the PRC government broke off semiofficial contacts and escalated military tensions, initiating the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.[2]

President Tsai Ing-wen's 2016 stopover in Los Angeles included a meeting with American Institute in Taiwan chairman Raymond Burghardt

Although the transits are "unofficial" in nature, they offer opportunities for Taiwanese presidents or vice presidents to have phone calls with high-level U.S. officials, or hold private clandestine meetings with officials.[3]

List of transits

Date President Location Countries visited Details Ref.
1997 Lee Teng-hui Hawaii Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Paraguay Meeting with former Hawaii governor George Ariyoshi and AIT chairman Richard C. Bush [4]
2000 Chen Shui-bian Los Angeles Meeting with House Representative Dana Rohrabacher [5]
2005 Miami Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines [6]
2007 Anchorage, Alaska Honduras [7][8]
2014 Ma Ying-jeou Los Angeles São Tomé and Príncipe, Burkina Faso, Honduras [9]
2016 Tsai Ing-wen Miami, Los Angeles Panama, Paraguay [10]
2017 Houston, San Francisco Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador Meeting with Texas senator Ted Cruz and governor Greg Abbott [11]
Honolulu, Guam Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands Visit to USS Arizona Memorial and meeting with Guam governor Eddie Baza Calvo [12]
2019 Hawaii Palau, Nauru, Marshall Islands [3]
New York City, Denver Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia Meeting with Colorado governor Jared Pollis and visit to National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) [13]
2023 New York City, Simi Valley Guatemala, Belize Meetings with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in New York and Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Simi Valley [14]
2024 Lai Ching-te Guam, Hawaii Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Palau Meeting with Hawaii governor Josh Green [15][16]

References

  1. ^ Mann, Jim (1996-09-09). "China's Feelings of Betrayal on Taiwan Fed Anger at U.S." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  2. ^ "China Chides U.S. for Giving Taiwan's Leader Transit Visa". Chicago Tribune. 5 August 2000.
  3. ^ a b Ng, Nicole (28 March 2019). "Why was the Taiwanese president in Hawaii?". DW. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  4. ^ Chen, Marlene; Newell, Phil (October 1997). "President Lee Teng-hui Undertakes 16-Day Diplomatic Visit to Central America". 台灣光華雜誌 Taiwan Panorama | 國際化,雙語編排,文化整合,全球華人的雜誌 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  5. ^ "House Member, Taiwan Leader Meet in L.A." Office of the President of the ROC. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  6. ^ Chiu, Yu-tzu (22 September 2005). "Storm further disrupts Chen's plans in Miami". Taipei Times.
  7. ^ "President Chen Makes Transit Stop in Alaska". Office of the President of the ROC. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  8. ^ "President stays on the plane to protest transit restrictions". Taipei Times. 30 August 2007.
  9. ^ "President Ma makes transit stop in Los Angeles, California on trip back to Taiwan". Office of the President of the ROC. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Tsai makes transit stop in Miami". Taipei Times. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  11. ^ Yuhas, Alan (2017-01-09). "Ted Cruz meets Taiwan president and fires his own broadside at China". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-12-08. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  12. ^ Maratita, Maureen N. (2017-11-03). "Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen visits US territory of Guam despite Chinese ire". The Straits Times. Reuters. Archived from the original on 2024-12-08. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  13. ^ Aspinwall, Nick (2019-07-19). "Taiwan President to Stop in Denver as US-Taiwan Ties Strengthen". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  14. ^ Foran, Claire; McCarthy, Simone (6 April 2023). "Taiwan's president warns 'democracy is under threat' in joint remarks with McCarthy". CNN.
  15. ^ Wu, Taijing; Wu, Huizhong (2 December 2024). "Taiwan's president arrives in Hawaii for a 2-day stop in the US as part of South Pacific visit". AP News.
  16. ^ Li, Yuchen (3 December 2024). "Taiwan: How is China reacting to Lai's 'transit diplomacy'". DW.