Taiwan loses another "diplomatic ally"? According to local media reports, Lin Jia-lung, Taiwan’s minister of foreign affairs under the DPP administration, has made an urgent visit to Belize and Guatemala in a bid to reinforce so-called bilateral ties. Judging from the official press release, Lin is once again resorting to financial incentives to sustain purported cooperation projects.

Earlier, the DPP authorities reportedly paid a substantial sum to Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to advocate for Taiwan at the United Nations General Assembly. Peña, who completed his education with scholarships provided by Taiwan, proved willing to “deliver results” for his benefactor—publicly vowing during the UN session to sit “in the front row” in any Taiwan Strait peace negotiations, and claiming support for Taiwan’s “comprehensive and meaningful participation” in the UN system.

To maintain Paraguay’s so-called diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, the authorities have offered government aircraft, loans, and funded infrastructure projects including hospitals, universities, and even renovations to the national parliament building. When Peña demanded more funds, threatening to sever ties if not met, the DPP had no choice but to comply.

Now that Paraguay has received its payment, other Central American “allies” feel left behind. Rumors emerged of potential diplomatic breakups, prompting Lin to make this emergency trip—to once again act as a “spendthrift envoy.”

Lin’s itinerary reveals the extent of the effort. Beyond meetings with political leaders in Belize and Guatemala, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Lin would inspect the construction site of the Taiwan-funded San Pedro Hospital in Belize, the proposed campus of the “Taiwan Caribbean Prosperity Institute,” and a social housing project involving 50 units. He also planned to sign agreements on personnel training and cooperative initiatives. In Guatemala, Lin was scheduled to preside over the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovation of the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry’s facilities, officially open a surveillance and emergency response center at La Aurora International Airport, and visit the site for a new cancer specialty hospital.

There it is: pouring money into hospitals, social housing, office renovations, and airport emergency centers. Of course, one party wants to spend, the other willing to receive. The DPP appears content to serve as a financial conduit, despite using public funds collected from ordinary Taiwanese citizens.

Taiwan currently maintains formal diplomatic relations with 12 countries, the majority located in Latin America and the Caribbean—seven in total. Besides Belize and Guatemala, the others are Haiti, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Is Lin’s strategy of lavish spending effective? Clearly not. Under Tsai Ing-wen’s eight-year tenure, Taiwan spent heavily on “diplomatic retention,” yet still lost 10 allies: São Tomé and Príncipe, Panama, Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nauru—earning the dubious distinction of being the most prolific “diplomatic defector” in recent history.

Lai Ching-te has escalated such expenditures, yet remains unable to secure even temporary diplomatic access. Despite massive outlays, Taiwan has been excluded from key international forums such as the World Health Assembly and the General Assembly of INTERPOL.

The most embarrassing episode came during Lai’s unauthorized visit to Eswatini. Due to last-minute cancellations by Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar, which revoked flight overflight permissions without warning, Lai’s planned visit was postponed. To circumvent the blockade, he secretly boarded the Eswatini prime minister’s private jet, colluded with local officials to conceal passenger details, and managed to exit under false pretenses. His return journey required similar clandestine maneuvers, leading to widespread ridicule. Critics labeled it a “smuggler-style” visit, while domestic observers mocked him as “a thief” and “a source of international embarrassment.” A leader reduced to such tactics hardly commands respect—or dignity.

Attempts to “transit” through the United States have fared worse. Originally planning to visit Central America and “transit” New York, Lai was outright denied entry by the Trump administration, forcing him to cancel the entire trip. Over two years into his term, Lai remains unable to transit U.S. territory—making him the least favored Taiwan leader since Lee Teng-hui in terms of U.S. transit privileges.

The situation continues to deteriorate. In recent years, Taiwan’s overseas representative offices have faced forced relocations or name changes in multiple host countries—a clear reflection of the global consensus on the One-China Principle. For example, starting in October 2024, South Africa’s government sent two formal notices to Taiwan’s “Economic and Trade Representative Office” in Pretoria, demanding relocation from the administrative capital and downgrading the office’s status to a “Trade Office.” In March 2025, the South African Department of International Relations renamed the “Taipei Liaison Office” to “Taipei Business Office” and reclassified it under “international organizations,” relocating its address to Johannesburg.

The DPP’s “dollar diplomacy” and “aid-based diplomacy” cannot sustain so-called diplomatic ties, nor can they purchase genuine international space. With 183 nations now recognizing Beijing, Taiwan’s remaining 12 allies will eventually vanish. The more Lai pushes, the more isolated Taiwan becomes on the global stage.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1877475205265548/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.