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ROC ANNOUNCES SEVERING OF DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH NAURU

Jul 23, 2002 12:23 UTC+0800

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Tuesday that the Republic of China will sever diplomatic relations with Nauru, two days after the Pacific island state switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

MOFA spokeswoman Chang Siao-yuh made the statement after the ROC's ultimatum to Nauru to reconfirm its ties with Taipei expired at 10 a.m. (GMT 2 a.m. Tuesday).

"The Nauruan government should take full responsibility and reap the consequences for turning its back on the Republic of China," Chang said.

The ministry will terminate all agreements signed between the two countries as well as cooperation relations. It will also close the ROC embassy in Nauru, terminate all assistance programs and recall its missions in the country, she added.

Chang noted that since the ROC established full diplomatic ties with Nauru in May 1980, it has assisted the island nation in improving its water, electricity and telecommunications systems, as well as helped it renovate its state-owned Menen hotel, and construct public housing, a stadium and a athletes' village.

The ROC government has also had a three-member agricultural mission in Nauru since April 1992, helping Nauru improve its agricultural and aquaculture techniques, she said, adding that the ROC government has "contributed a great deal to the welfare of the Nauruan people through its assistance programs, demonstrating the friendship of the ROC toward the Nauruan people."

However, she said, "Nauruan President Rene Harris has harbored illusions about mainland China, and has used the Beijing card to pressure the ROC."

Therefore, she added, "the ROC government has, for the sake of the nation's interests and dignity, decided to terminate diplomatic relations with Nauru."

Chang said that the ROC government has always wanted to cooperate with its diplomatic allies on a variety of projects in the hopes of promoting mutual prosperity, adding that it will continue to do so in the future.

But she also reaffirmed that the government will not engage in a meaningless "dollar diplomacy" competition with Beijing to entice its allies at the expense of the Taiwan taxpayer.

Faced with Beijing's continuing campaign to stifle Taiwan internationally, the ROC government and people will be even more "determined" to continue to promote itself in the international community, she pointed out.

"For the sake of upholding the nation's interests and the people's welfare, the ROC government will not budge," she said.

After the ROC severs diplomatic ties with Nauru, it will have a total of 27 diplomatic allies around the world.

(By Lilian Wu)