He senator Marco Rubio said this Wednesday that Panama convinced the Dominican Republic so that the country would not have any type of association with Taiwan and thus, open the doors to the Chinese market, which has been responsible for avoiding any Taiwanese political, social and economic presence in the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio, who is currently in his hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a necessary process for his nomination as Secretary of State to be confirmed, assured that China has undertaken a very aggressive campaign over the last eight years to ensure that the countries of the hemisphere that recognize and support diplomatic relations with Taiwan break your ties.
“They managed to get Panama to turn around and they managed to get Panama to convince the Dominican Republic that he did it. They have targeted many other nations and Nicaragua more recently to turn it around,” he highlighted. Marco Rubio.
Rubio’s statements came after being questioned by Jeff Merkley, senator by the state of Oregon, whether it would support the right to Taiwan to have a voice in international affairs if he were confirmed as Secretary of State. On the subject, Rubio highlighted that he has been the main Republican sponsor of the Foreign Relations Act with Taiwan which dates back to 1979 and which it revitalized and reauthorized in 2016.
“They (China) have taken very aggressive action in the last seven or eight years to make these countries change. They got Panama to turn around and they got Panama to convince the Dominican Republic to do so. They have targeted many other nations and Nicaragua more recently to turn it around.”Nominated for US Secretary of State
The Dominican Republic broke his diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2018, after accepting China a loan for more than 3,000 million dollars (2,470 million euros), which was considered by Taiwan as a “trap loan”, of which China was granting to developing countries.
He senator of Cuban origin also assured that the Chinese are using international forums, such as that of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to avoid the participation of any mention of Taiwan in the memoranda and that no one close to them is associated with said nation.
“I would like to point out Western hemisphere. I know it sounds like from the other side of the world, but you’ll understand the problem. Most nations on earth that continue to recognize and have relationships with Taiwanthe vast majority of them are found within the Western Hemisphere,” Rubio highlighted.
On Dominican-Taiwanese relations
After 75 years of diplomatic relationsthe Dominican Republic and Taiwan they break their diplomatic relationsduring the second presidential term of Danilo Medina (2018). In 1943, the Minister Counselor of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Cuba, he was appointed as Minister Counselor of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Dominican Republic and formally presented his credential to the Dominican government.
In 2018, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu reported at a press conference that the Dominican Republic had cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan due to the financial incentives offered by Beijing, and warned of the risks of “trap loans” that China grants to developing countries.
Of the $3 billion mentioned, $220 million will go toward building affordable housing, $400 million will go toward improving roads, $1.6 billion will go toward rail projects, and $50 million will go toward updating the Office of Civil Aviation’s computer system. , according to the ministry spokesperson.
In addition, it is expected that 300 million will be used for the construction of a natural gas-based power plant, 350 million will be invested in a hydroelectric plant and 174 million will be dedicated to an incineration plant, according to the same source.
Dominican-Chinese relations
Relations between the People’s Republic China and the Dominican Republic They began on May 1, 2018. Since then, the Asian country has become the first trading partner in the entire world. Caribbean and China It is the country’s second partner worldwide.
These relations have been strengthened through the signing of more than 20 agreements in various sectors, such as construction, economy, commerce, agriculture, culture, education and tourism, with a cumulative investment estimated at around 200 million dollars.
The Embassy of China in the country estimates that, currently, the chinese community It has a population of close to 30,000 people, of which more than 25,000 have become naturalized as Dominicans.
With hundreds of business throughout the country, recently characterized by tax evasion, historically, the chinese community has stood out for his participation in business such as restaurants, motels, supermarkets, stationery stores and jewelry stores, which has diversified and is currently developing in the textile market, perfumery, hardware, footwear and household items.
