The assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise has exacerbated political instability and may open doors to political interference from China. Eleven suspects in Moise's assassination broke into Taiwan's embassy after the murder, raising concerns China could exploit the chaos in Haiti to gain influence. As one of the few countries with ties to Taiwan, Haiti is an opportunity for China to pressure nations into switching allegiance from Taipei to Beijing. The letter urges the Secretary of State to convey to Haiti and other countries the importance of resisting China's influence and maintaining ties with Taiwan.

1. 14 July 2021
The Honorable Antony J. Blinken
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C St, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Blinken:
The assassination of President Jovenel Moise earlier this month has exacerbated an already
deteriorating political situation in Haiti. We are concerned about the potential ripple effects this assassination
may have on stability, both within Haiti and across the wider region – as well as the doors it may open to
political interference by the People’s Republic of China.
There’s still a great deal we don’t know about the identities of those behind this shocking attack, as
well as their potential patrons. However, we do know that eleven of the suspects in question broke into
Taiwan’s embassy in Port-au-Prince the day after Moise’s murder – damaging doors and breaking windows.
The appearance of eleven suspects at Taiwan’s embassy immediately following the murder of the
Haitian President raises serious concerns about the potential for Chinese mischief in Haiti, and more
specifically, broader efforts by Beijing to exploit the current chaos in an effort to gain a greater foothold in
the Caribbean. As you know, Haiti is only one of fifteen nations that maintains normal diplomatic ties with
Taiwan. China is constantly seeking opportunities to pressure these nations to switch their diplomatic
allegiance from Taipei to Beijing in an effort to exert more political and economic influence in the
developing world. In 2018, for example, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic – a
country just to Haiti’s west – caved to Beijing and abandoned their ties with Taiwan. The following year,
China successfully applied the same pressure to Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Other strategically
important countries, such as Panama, have also flipped in recent years.
Given the dangers of expanded Chinese influence on America’s doorstep, we hope you will convey
to your counterparts in Haiti – as well as those across Latin America and the Caribbean – the importance of
resisting Chinese overtures and of maintaining their ties with Taipei. The Chinese Communist Party will
exploit any opportunity to advance its political and economic objectives around the world, and will most
certainly seek to take advantage of the political turmoil in Haiti to further marginalize U.S. and Taiwanese
interests.

2. We look forward to learning more regarding the Biden Administration’s plan to contain Chinese
expansion around the region and to strengthen our ties with Taiwan. Thank you in advance for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
_________________ _________________
SCOTT PERRY TOM TIFFANY
Member of Congress Member of Congress