Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Lai Ching-te is about to take over as leader of the Taiwan region, and this political change has not only aroused widespread concern inside and outside the island, but has also prompted the so-called "countries with diplomatic relations" and "democratic partners" of the Taiwan authorities to send delegations to Taiwan to congratulate them.
This grand diplomatic activity has undoubtedly added a strong touch of color to Taiwan's political arena.
According to an official statement by Taiwan's foreign affairs department, since the end of the elections in the Taiwan region, a total of 73 visiting groups and 687 guests have arrived in Taiwan one after another to express their support and congratulations to the new leader.
Among them, 22 groups and 179 guests visited Lai Qingde before his official inauguration, demonstrating their deep friendship with Taiwan. The remaining 51 groups and 508 guests are scheduled to attend the upcoming inauguration ceremony and related activities to witness this historic moment.
The lineup of guests who visited this time was star-studded and extraordinary. The statement detailed the list of guests from the "countries with diplomatic relations" who attended the inauguration ceremony, including eight heads of state, one deputy head of state, one foreign minister's mission and two special envoys.
The arrival of these high-level delegations has undoubtedly added more weight and brilliance to Lai Qingde's inauguration ceremony.
Among the many guests, we noticed some familiar faces. Among the heavyweights are King Mswati III of Eswatini, President Hilda Hine of the Marshall Islands, President Hui Shuren of Palau and President Peña Palacios of Paraguay.
Their arrival not only represents the support and friendship of their respective countries for the Taiwan region, but also further consolidates the diplomatic relations between Taiwan and these countries.
In addition to heads of state and presidents, prime ministers of a number of countries were also invited to attend the ceremony. The prime ministers of Tuvalu, St. Lucia, Belize and St. Kitts and Nevis were present in person, adding more international flavor to Lai's inauguration.
Their arrival not only demonstrates Taiwan's influence and status in the international arena, but also injects more confidence and impetus into Taiwan's future development.
However, we also found some subtle changes in this grand diplomatic event. Although Guatemala is also a "friendly country" of the Taiwan authorities, it chose to send only its foreign minister to attend the ceremony. Guatemala's participation is a bit more low-key than the level of participation of other countries. This change has undoubtedly aroused widespread attention and interpretation from the outside world.
According to foreign media reports, the Taiwan authorities have long tried to influence Guatemala's political trend through economic means in order to gain its political support. However, the Guatemalan presidential palace recently made it clear that President Arévalo has decided not to attend Lai Qingde's inauguration. This decision has undoubtedly brought certain challenges and reflections to the diplomatic strategy of the Taiwan authorities.
In response to this incident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also expressed its solemn position at a regular press conference. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin pointed out that the DPP authorities often abuse the resources of the Taiwan people to carry out so-called "gold-yuan diplomacy" in an attempt to win the recognition and support of the international community.
However, this practice actually harms the interests of the Taiwan people and mainly serves the "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and personal political calculations. He further expressed his "hope and confidence" that Guatemala will be able to make decisions that are in line with international trends, historical trends and the interests of its people.
It is worth noting that Wang Wenbin used the phrase "hope and believe", rather than simply "hope". This subtle change in wording undoubtedly conveys the strong confidence and expectation of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Guatemala's future decision-making.
At the same time, it also suggests that China may have some positive information or intelligence and some optimism about the future direction of Guatemala.
Although we cannot accurately guess the specific information held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the recent remarks of Wu Zhaoxie, the head of Taiwan's foreign affairs department, may provide us with some clues.
In an interview, he frankly admitted that although the relations between the Taiwan authorities as "countries with diplomatic relations" seem to be stable in the short term, in the long run, the situation between Guatemala and Haiti is indeed worrisome. In particular, Guatemalan President Arévalo's attention to and recognition of China has made the country's position among the "friends" of the Taiwan authorities particularly crucial and sensitive.
In addition to Guatemala, the attendance of other "friendly countries" is also of great concern. The presence of Paraguayan President Peña Palacios certainly graced the ceremony, but at the same time, it exposed the delicate situation of the authorities in international relations. Although Paraguay maintains so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan, the president of Paraguay has publicly complained about domestic pressure to establish diplomatic relations with China.
This phenomenon not only reflects the international community's general recognition of the "one-China" principle, but also reveals Taiwan's embarrassing position in the international arena.
Against this background, the choice of the Guatemalan foreign minister's level to attend Lai's inauguration is particularly important. This is not only related to the future trend of relations with Taiwan, but also reflects the attitude of the international community towards the Taiwan issue to a certain extent.
Does Guatemala's sending only its foreign minister to the ceremony mean that the country is seeking more economic support? Or does it herald a shift in its political stance? These issues need to be further observed and analysed.
What is certain, however, is that the "friendly" relations of the Taiwan authorities in the international arena are facing unprecedented challenges. With the international community's widespread recognition and support for the "one-China" principle, the number of so-called "countries with diplomatic relations" with Taiwan is constantly decreasing.
This trend is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Taiwan authorities, and it has further highlighted the complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.
In the face of this situation, we call on the countries concerned to return to the international trend and historical trend at an early date and conform to the expectations and well-being of the people. The one-China principle is a broad consensus of the international community and a universally recognized basic norm governing international relations, and any attempt to challenge this principle will be condemned and opposed by the international community.
We hope that the countries concerned will have a clear understanding of the situation and make wise choices that are in line with their own interests and international morality.
To sum up, Lai Ching-te's assumption of the leadership of the Taiwan region is undoubtedly an important political event, which has not only aroused widespread attention at home and abroad, but has also prompted the Taiwan authorities to send delegations to congratulate the so-called "countries having diplomatic relations" and "democratic partners." However, in this grand diplomatic event, we have also found some subtle changes and challenges.
In the face of these changes and challenges, we need to remain calm and rational, and deeply analyze the causes and trends in order to better respond to future challenges and opportunities.