Taiwan loses Nicaragua to Beijing as diplomatic ally
ROC Central News Agency
12/10/2021 09:32 AM
Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) Taiwan said Friday that it has severed diplomatic ties with Nicaragua shortly after the Central American nation switched recognition to China, leaving Taipei with 14 countries that have official relations with it.
Taiwan's government decided to terminate diplomatic relations with the Republic of Nicaragua immediately and recall staff from its embassy and technical mission, which has worked on bilateral cooperation projects there, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement.
According to CNN, Nicaragua's Foreign Minister Denis Moncada announced on television on Thursday that his country was breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan and will stop having any contact or official relationship with Taipei.
"The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China and Taiwan is an undoubted part of the Chinese territory," he added.
In its statement, MOFA said Taiwan "deeply regrets" that the Nicaraguan government has disregarded the friendship between the people of Taiwan and Nicaragua.
This brings the number of Taiwan's diplomatic allies down to 14.
Since 2016 when President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) came into office, Taiwan has lost eight diplomatic allies, including: Burkina Faso, Panama, Sao Tome and Principe, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and now Nicaragua.
The latest loss is further indication of Taiwan's deteriorated relations with China under the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party.
(By Teng Pei-ju)
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