Learning more about each other would foster shared space for discovering common interests and goals
There are many reasons why Taiwan and Latin America seem to be worlds apart.
Language, culture, and distance are the most obvious, but with today’s advances in technology, communications, and transportation those should not be major hurdles preventing a closer relationship.
History and geopolitics are two other powerful factors that separate us, although both could be managed with better education and skillful diplomacy. Not only is learning about other people and places generally a smart thing to do, but we may find more in common than we think. The main goal is to prosper and be free in an increasingly difficult and dangerous world.
There are understandable motives for Taiwan to have grown somewhat disillusioned with Latin America in recent years. The number of Latin American countries that maintain full diplomatic relations with the country has dwindled in tandem with the rise of China as an economic world power.
There is little Taiwan can do to counter that, except try to hold the fort as best it can. This is something that its representative trade offices are always busily working on — a difficult effort to which I can personally attest from my experience as a journalist in Chile.
Values matter
So, why bother? Common values, for one thing. With the sad exceptions of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua all Latin American countries are democracies. Each with its problems and challenges, to be sure, but democracies nonetheless.
A shared belief in the right to elect one’s government and replace it if need be is no small thing. It is rooted in the conviction that a ruler’s legitimacy derives from the people’s consent, not the other way around.
From this democratic ideal stems a powerful belief in personal freedom and human rights. Both Taiwanese and Latin Americans know from painful experience what the lack of those things entails.
The right to be free from political persecution, to practice the faith we choose (or not), and to express our opinions on whatever subject we want are all things that should unite those who believe in them because we know they cannot be taken for granted.
There is also a shared experience in overcoming the legacies of colonialism, dictatorship, and poverty. This can be and should be, a powerful force for closer relations on a cultural and economic level, and perhaps also in the political sphere.
Once again, what is required is not necessarily a realignment that defies the current geopolitical axis or spheres of influence. Rather, this would entail a true desire and accompanying public policies for a better mutual understanding and closer ties.
Win-win
In short, a deliberate effort to learn more about each other would, by itself, foster a shared space for discovering common interests and goals. It would benefit all parties.
In all truth, those common interests and goals should already be apparent if we cast away ideological shackles, self-defeating inward-looking tendencies, and paralyzing fears. A country that calls itself “of the world,” as Taiwan does, should not let itself be distanced from a region that is home to more than 660 million people, values democracy, and has enormous amounts of natural resources.
Likewise, Latin America should never lose sight of the fact that Taiwan is a beacon for freedom in the world, an economic powerhouse, and a leader in some of the most important technologies for the 21st century. Examples include semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green energy, and biotech.
Even though the term “rules-based order” has become contentious of late, countries that harbor no hegemonic ambitions must defend a world that grants players of all sizes a chance to strive for security, prosperity, and freedom. Taiwan, not just its government but also the private sector and civil society, must not resign itself to throwing in the towel as far as Latin America is concerned because of geopolitical pressures.
And vice versa. Perhaps now more than ever it should be clear that we all stand to gain from stronger and more diverse ties.
Marcel Oppliger is a Chilean journalist and writer, currently living in Taipei. He is the former opinion editor of newspapers Diario Financiero, La Tercera, and La Segunda, in Santiago, and the author of three non-fiction books.
First published by Taiwan News.