In the same week that Taiwanese took to the streets to repudiate Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan's leaders rolled out the red carpet for a visit by former US President Donald Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. This is the same man who, together with Mr Trump, withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure its government to initiate a bogus investigation into Joe Biden's son, and who then fired the US ambassador to Ukraine when she refused to go along with the extortion attempt.
The jarring juxtaposition of these two events -- the Taiwanese people supporting a fellow democracy while their leaders lavished praise on the man who undermined that democracy's security -- reflects a reckless willingness to embrace any foreign politician who will "stand with Taiwan". Taiwanese leaders are focused so intently on gaining international recognition that they ignore the key threat Taiwan faces: an invasion by China similar to what Russia has done in Ukraine.
Taiwan's development over the past few decades has been truly miraculous. Within the span of a generation, it has grown from a poor, primarily agrarian society with an authoritarian regime into a vibrant democracy boasting some of the world's most important companies, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). And this transformation occurred in the absence of formal diplomatic ties or participation in international organisations such as the United Nations.
