China - Taiwan risks full 'diplomatic' isolation under DPP rule

China and Sao Tome and Principe resumed diplomatic ties on Monday, less than a week since this African island nation broke relations with Taiwan. Gambia, another African country, resumed ties with China three years after cutting off relations with Taiwan. This is a warning Beijing has sent to the administration of Tsai Ing-wen. Within Taiwan, there is also speculation that Beijing and the Vatican are in close touch regarding establishing diplomatic ties.

Tsai will head to four Central American countries with a stopover in the US in January. Taiwan public opinion has been worried about the possibility that a particular country may break ties with Taiwan before Tsai's departure, a huge embarrassment she will suffer. 

If the Tsai administration continues to deviate from the one-China principle, which prompts the Chinese mainland to block Taiwan's diplomacy, the remaining 21 countries with which Taiwan holds diplomatic ties will all follow Sao Tome during the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), leaving Taiwan completely isolated.

While the DPP wants to prove that Taiwan is an independent and sovereign country, the mainland should make it realize what Taiwan really is. Taiwan authorities feel degraded about taking part in international events under the banner of "Chinese Taipei," but it may risk losing even that qualification to attend international activities.

Currently, Taiwan can set up representative offices in other countries. But if Taiwan independence forces do not stop, Beijing can lobby these countries not to host Taiwan offices. 

The mainland can resort to military means. In addition, it can consider plans to single out advocators behind Taiwan independence and exert punishment. These two options will wield more deterrence and be more efficient.

Since the DPP refuses to admit the 1992 Consensus and colludes with the US and Japan to break the status quo of cross-Straits relations, they have to take the blame for the end of peaceful exchanges between the two sides and bear the consequences. 

This perhaps is a period of chaos Taiwan and the mainland have to go through before they embark on the path of unification. Although the mainland will suffer some losses as well, it can withstand them. The mainland public is fed up with appeasing Taiwan endlessly and is ready to smash independent forces.

Once the Taiwan Straits runs into trouble, the independence forces will lose ground. DPP authorities should be made to realize that they have no mandate to rule the island with Taiwan-independence thinking.

The mainland, rather than the US, has become the sole force to dominate the situation in the Taiwan Straits. If Taiwan authorities willingly become a pawn of the US and confront the mainland, they will only face a dead end. This is perhaps our last fight to eradicate Taiwan independence forces.