Taiwan has condemned Botswana’s backing of Beijing’s position on its sovereignty, while President Duma Boko reaffirms his opposition to Taiwanese independence.
BONGANI MALUNGA
President Duma Boko has sharpened Botswana’s diplomatic stance on Taiwan, reaffirming his rejection of Taiwanese independence even as Taipei accuses Botswana of endorsing Beijing’s political manipulation.
The President’s renewed declaration, made during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) last Thursday, followed a joint statement with Chinese President Xi Jinping that drew a rebuke from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The one-China principle is inconsistent with anything that seeks to dismember, to parcel out certain portions of Chinese territory and diminish its sovereignty and integrity. And so, the question of Taiwan, to the extent that it seeks the outcome of a dismemberment is inconsistent with our stance on the one-China policy, the one-China principle. And it is something that we can neither countenance nor support,” Boko said in the CMG interview.
Joint Declaration
By publicly repeating the message, Boko personally reinforced Botswana’s longstanding recognition of Beijing as China’s sole legitimate government, putting himself at the centre of a growing war of words over Taiwan’s sovereignty.
On Tuesday, October 13, Botswana and China issued a joint declaration elevating relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The document describes Taiwan as part of China, rejects any form of Taiwanese independence and pledges support for China’s efforts towards national reunification.
However, Taiwan wasted little time hitting back. In a sharply worded statement issued on Wednesday, October 14, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry accused China of using bilateral talks to spread “false statements that denigrate Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
“China has long imposed its so-called ‘One China Principle’ on bilateral documents with other countries in an attempt to undermine the international order; however, no unilateral statement or document can change the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns the Botswana government to maintain objectivity and neutrality, not to blindly follow China’s deliberate political manipulation, and not to underestimate the potential threat that China’s actions pose to regional peace,” Taiwan responded.
Taiwan’s Objection
The row comes as Boko seeks greater Chinese investment and cooperation in mining, agriculture, digital technology and industrial development. China regards Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory. Taiwan, however, operates under its own democratically elected government and rejects Beijing’s claims of authority over it.
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