The Race to Zero?: China's Poaching of Taiwan's Diplomatic Allies

The election of Tsai Ing-wen as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 2016 reignited Beijing's quest to poach Taiwan's diplomatic allies. Between her election in January 2016 and reelection in January 2020, Taiwan has lost seven countries to China. After eight years of a “diplomatic truce” under President Ma Ying-jeou, China re-started its multi-pronged strategy to pressure Taiwan into eventual unification, and one of the key tactics is to poach all of Taiwan's now-15 remaining diplomatic allies to eliminate its international legitimacy. This article seeks to explain what, if any, benefits formal diplomatic relations provide Taiwan and the ways in which Beijing induces countries to switch ties. It concludes by providing recommendations for what actions the United States can undertake to slow the impending completion of the “race to zero.”