Small countries lead the way in resisting Chinese aggression

Yet again 27 Chinese aircrafts, including eight J-16 jets and a Y-20 aerial refueling tanker entered Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone¹. Air space violation has become China’s favourite way of intimidating Taiwan and consolidating its sovereignty claims over the island. Aerial incursions by China have become a routine for China to express its severe condemnation. Apart from imposing sanctions on Taiwanese officials for their alleged separatist activists, China is now intensifying attacks on any country that expressed support to the democratic identity of Taiwan.

The recent show of aggressive comes in the wake of visit of lawmakers of Baltic States to Taiwan to attend the 2021 Open Parliament Forum hosted by Taiwan. Protesting the arrival of representatives from Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, China flew jets. Prior to that China held joint military exercises in the Taiwan Straits to condemn the visit of US lawmakers to Taiwan. Ensconced by “strategic ambiguity” while the US has been relaying conflicting messages, in sharp contrast, Lithuania firmly resisted the China coercive diplomacy and inaugurated Taiwan’s defacto embassy at Vilnius.

For the first time in 18 years, Taiwan has opened an office in Europe. Unlike its other outposts across the World which are designated as “Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices”, the Vilnius office is opened under the name of “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania”.

Sino-Lithuanian relations have been on the edge after the Baltic nation pulled out 17+1 China-CEEC (Central and Eastern European Countries). Stating that China is using 17+1 to divide Europe Union and casting aspersions on Beijing’s respect for human rights, democracy and rule of law, Lithuania initially announced its stance of reviewing relations with Beijing. By the last week of May, Lithuania quit the agreement and announced that it will open a commercial office in Taiwan².

Around the same time, in response to China’s sanctions on various EU officials for their remarks on the human rights issues of Uighurs, EU put the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CIA) with Beijing on hold. True to its nature, wielding trade as the strategic weapon against Lithuania, China withdrew its ambassador and expelled the Lithuanian envoy, stopped the rail freight services and halted the trade between two countries.

With this, Lithuania joined the list of nations that were subjected to economic sanctions. The list included Norway, South Korea, Australia among others. Undeterred by China’s assertive actions, Lithuania continued its engagement and inaugurated the Taiwanese office in Vilnius.  EU and US must take a leaf from Lithuania.

The Chinese retaliation and sanctions against Lithuania provided fresh impetus to the discussions on a proposed new EU legislation designed to counter and deter the sanction by third countries against EU and its members. Should this legislation be passed, the EU would be empowered to impose trade, investment or other restrictions against the third countries. Unfortunately, the EU is visibly divided on this aspect with France and Germany keen on pursuing their economic interests.

What is really interesting is a Baltic minnow with a population of 3 million defying China’s bullying. China’s threats couldn’t deter the resolve Lithuanian government that affirmed “value-based foreign policy” of “supporting people supporting democratic movements”³. The David Vs Goliath fight has now inadvertently exposed the geopolitical ambitions of China. In the face of this coercion, Lithuanian foreign minister travelled to Washington, which pledged iron-clad support to the fellow NATO member.

Notwithstanding its puny size, Lithuania has firmly asserted its values. Indeed, Lithuania became the first nation to declare independence following the collapse of Soviet Union in 1990. Even now it is in logger heads with Russia and Belarus for sheltering the exiled dissident leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Lithuania has always stood up for what it believed is right. Lithuania which is no stranger to bullying and hectoring has been quick in rejecting China’s upmanship.

Unlike other countries that hardly made noise about the built-in feature of Chinese mobiles that censored terms like “Free Tibet”, “Long live Taiwan”, “Democracy movement” Vilnius banned the officials from using the Chinese origin phones for harbouring a censorship feature. In 2019, Chinese diplomats carried out a protest to counter a rally by Lithuanian citizens in support of Hongkong democratic movement. This incident witnessed minor scuffles and sowed deep distrust against Beijing.  

Rejecting the pressurizing politics of China, several Lithuanian leaders supported Taiwan friendship group and joined Taiwan national day celebration in 2020. Refusing to be muzzled, Baltic country, which serves as a transit corridor China to Europe, has blunted China’s attempt to silence it. Amid China’s latest attempts to further downgrade diplomatic ties with Lithuania and pressurize other countries to restrict trade with Vilinus, Slovenia (current President of Council of EU) urged the Union to stand with Lithuania.

Similarly, in March, Romania booted out Chinese firms operating in telecom and nuclear sector, issued a sharp rebuke to President Xi and refused to send the President to the 17+1 Summit⁴. Defying Chinese threat and open provocation of “you’ve crossed the line” Czech Republic senate President met Taiwanese President⁵. China’s bullying and aggression reminds these countries of communist Soviet Union which they strongly detest. They approve that Chinese hectoring is a threat to democracy. This in particular is more visible to Baltic and Balkan countries, former communist states.

For seeking an investigation into origins of the Covid pandemic, China suspended trade with Australia. But Canberra refused to succumb to China’s pressure tactics. Diversifying trade, it sealed a security alliance with US and UK to bolster its sovereignty and security. Clearly, small countries are leading the way to take on the Dragon.

China’s ambitious agenda of reunification received a massive jolt with the election of President Tsai. To dent Taiwan’s attempts to have an identity, Beijing began coercing small Latin American and Pacific Island to severe ties with Taipei in lieu of investment and infrastructure assistance.  Since 2016, China enticed six countries to snap ties with Taiwan. Subsequently, the number of countries which maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan fell to 14 after Kiribati and Solomon Islands switched their diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019.

Now simmering riots and torching of China constructed buildings in Solomon Islands has exposed the insidious power play and diplomacy of China. Demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare for cozying up to China, venting their anger for switching allegiances, protestors left a trail of destruction. Three people in China town were charred to death and Australian forces were called to restore normalcy. Foreign policy emerging as the moot point for protests appears to be strange. However, the nub of the unrest has been the $US 500 million promised by Beijing to Solomon Islands in exchange for terminating ties with Taiwan.

Allegedly the promised aid has been provided to the Islands as Constituency Development Fund as a direct payment to the MPs. Through dollar diplomacy, Beijing bought the politicians and the allegiance of the Island⁶. The opposition firmly opposed newly elected Prime Minister Sogavare’s move in 2019. Asserting that siding with China would compromise the Islands values on human rights and democracy, they sent an open letter. They are firmly opposed to the Communist ideology of China

The riots certainly have a precedence. In 2006 violent protests broke out in Solomon Islands over the claims of elections being rigged with the assistance of Chinese business people⁷. Playing into the apprehensions of the Islanders, China has been dominating the foreign policy since 2019.

China’s aggressive policies has failed to bring political acquiescence Beijing has anticipated. On the contrary, nations are drifting away from it. In his ruthless pursuit for its global ambitions, China has undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations with impunity. Nations are now turning the tide. At recently concluded China-ASEAN summit, commemorating thirty years of diplomatic ties, President Xi stated “China was, is and will always be ASEAN’s good neighbour, good friend and good partner of ASEAN” and that Beijing wouldn’t “bully its smaller neighbours”.

Ironically, this statement came at a time when the Philippines has strongly condemned the action of three Chinese boats that blocked and fired water cannon to drive away resupply boats headed towards Philippines-occupied atoll. ASEAN countries have been at the receiving end of Chinese expansionism and countries haven’t taken Xi’s words kindly.

At the ASEAN summit, Philippines President criticized China saying, “we abhor the recent event in the Ayungin Shoal and view with grave concern other similar developments”⁸ and rued about China’s failure to adhere to rule based-order. Though ASEAN is struggling to rise as a single unified voice, it is determinedly pushing back China’s hegemony. ASEAN didn’t concede to China’s lobbying of allowing Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing to the summit and forced it to send a non-political representative. Even the ASEAN joint statement reaffirmed the importance of uploading the rule-based order, commitment to freedom of navigation in South China Sea and freedom of flight over the waters as an oblique reference to China’s belligerence.

@ Copyrights reserved.