Taiwan’s allies: 12 small states caught in US-China rivalry | DW News

Since the Chinese Communist Party declared the People’s Republic of China in 1949, other states have had to choose — to diplomatically recognize the regime in Beijing or stay with the Republic of China, the government which fled to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War. In the decades since then, powers large and small have mostly dropped Taiwan for Beijing. Even the US did so, now just 12 states maintain official ties with Taipei. China sees Taiwan as a renegade province and states which maintain embassies on the island pay a price in any relations with the mainland. So why do they do it and how are they being caught up in the intensifying competition between the US and China? DW Correspondent Rosie Birchard reports from Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America.

Chapters:
00:00 Rare sight: Taiwan’s flag flying at an official embassy
2:17 Taiwanese influence across Paraguay’s capital
2:39 China vs Taiwan: The global diplomatic battle
4:02 Why most countries choose Beijing over Taipei
5:44 The 12 countries that still recognize Taiwan
6:13 Dollar diplomacy: How Taiwan supports its allies
7:49 Taiwan’s global influence beyond formal diplomacy
9:44 The economic cost of supporting Taiwan
12:30 Beijing’s strategy for flipping Taiwan’s allies
15:55 The United States steps in
19:07 Trump’s mixed messages
20:01 Taiwan’s 12 remaining diplomatic partners in 2026
22:06 Can Taipei win new allies?
23:45 Taiwan’s semiconductor power and global future

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