Countering China's Efforts toIsolate Taiwan Diplomatically in Latin America and the Caribbean The Role of Development Assistance and Disaster Relief
Date of Publication
2019 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Extreme Events
Keywords
Extreme Events, srhreports, naturaldisasters, country-china, Taiwan, development assistance, disaster relief, Latin America and the Caribbean, People's Republic of China, Honduras, Haiti
Description
This report describes Taiwan’s development assistance and disaster relief programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, exploring how such programs are viewed locally as well as by the United States. In turn, the authors of this report aim to identify areas where Taipei might make further improvements in its giving to encourage countries to continue extending Taiwan diplomatic recognition instead of switching ties to the People’s Republic of China, which seeks to poach Taipei’s diplomatic partnerships as a strategy to isolate and weaken the island. The report explores Taiwan’s giving in two specific cases—Honduras and Haiti—and draws insights from these instances as well as from interviews with U.S. officials and subject-matter experts who shed light on the key factors that shape recognition decisions and what might make diplomatic ties more resilient. This research was sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Relations Office (TECRO) and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD). NSRD conducts research and analysis for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the defense agencies, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Intelligence Community, allied foreign governments, and foundations.
Countering China's Efforts toIsolate Taiwan Diplomatically in Latin America and the Caribbean The Role of Development Assistance and Disaster Relief
This report describes Taiwan’s development assistance and disaster relief programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, exploring how such programs are viewed locally as well as by the United States. In turn, the authors of this report aim to identify areas where Taipei might make further improvements in its giving to encourage countries to continue extending Taiwan diplomatic recognition instead of switching ties to the People’s Republic of China, which seeks to poach Taipei’s diplomatic partnerships as a strategy to isolate and weaken the island. The report explores Taiwan’s giving in two specific cases—Honduras and Haiti—and draws insights from these instances as well as from interviews with U.S. officials and subject-matter experts who shed light on the key factors that shape recognition decisions and what might make diplomatic ties more resilient. This research was sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Relations Office (TECRO) and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD). NSRD conducts research and analysis for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the defense agencies, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Intelligence Community, allied foreign governments, and foundations.
