Chen: Malawi break saddening but not surprising

President Chen Shui-bian says that Malawi's breaking of diplomatic ties with Taiwan is saddening but not surprising. Chen said that China will try to suppress Taiwan for as long as Taiwan maintains its sovereignty. The president was speaking at a press conference with Taiwanese media on his current visit to Saint Lucia.

Earlier this week Malawi broke off relations with Taiwan to establish ties with China. President Chen condemned China’s tactics to marginalize Taiwan in the international community. Chen also said China would continue its attacks regardless of which party holds power in Taiwan.

Chen said, "We have to express our sadness [over Malawi] although it is not at all surprising. We know that China’s diplomatic suppression, blocking and isolating of Taiwan did not begin when my party came to power in 2000. We should remember that in 1971 when Taiwan withdrew from the United Nations, we still maintained relations with 59 countries at that time. By 1988, just seventeen years later, that number had fallen to just 21."

With the loss of Malawi, Taiwan currently has diplomatic ties with 23 countries.

Chen said that both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang back Taiwan’s application for membership of the United Nations, which Chen said is a display of Taiwan’s sovereignty.