Nicaragua on Friday terminated its diplomatic relations with Taiwan after the Central American country professed its support for the “one-China” principle.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Nicaraguan government said: “There is only one China…The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.” “As of today, Nicaragua breaks its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any official contact or relationship,” it added.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the news in a “solemn” statement saying that it regrets the Nicaraguan government’s decision and declares the termination of its diplomatic relations with the country effective immediately. “Taiwan deeply regrets that the Ortega government has decided to disregard the long-standing and close friendship between the people of Taiwan and Nicaragua….To safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, Taiwan has decided to terminate diplomatic relations with Nicaragua with immediate effect, end all bilateral cooperation projects and aid programs, and recall staff of its Embassy and Technical Mission in Nicaragua,” the statement read.
China welcomed the news. Within three hours of Nicaragua’s announcement, China and Nicaragua announced the resumption of diplomatic relations. In a statement this morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the two countries had signed a joint communiqué on the resumption of diplomatic relations.
BREAKING: The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any contact or official relationship. Given in Managua on Thursday, 9th December, 2021 at 4:30 pm. pic.twitter.com/qsbWdGEf3U
— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) December 9, 2021
The two countries have also decided to “resume diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level,” effective from today. In addition, the statement hailed Nicaragua’s commitment to abide by the one-China principle as “the right choice.”
Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be part of its own territory, previously held diplomatic relations with 15 nations. However, Nicaragua’s switch of allegiance has left Taipei with 14 diplomatic allies and increased the self-governing island’s diplomatic isolation on the international stage. Although Taiwan has been strengthening official exchanges with European Union member countries such as Lithuania and Slovakia, among others, they do not formally recognise the island as a country.
The Central American country’s decision is also a blow to the United States (US), which has been defying Chinese aggression in the region by strengthening ties with Taiwan. In a press statement by spokesperson Ned Price, the US State Department said Nicaragua’s decision does not “reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people” because its government was not democratically elected. “We encourage all countries that value democratic institutions, transparency, the rule of law, and promoting economic prosperity for their citizens to expand engagement with Taiwan,” he said.
Price’s statements were referring to Nicaragua’s elections last month, wherein President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in office, having been in power since 2007. Many international actors described the election as a “sham” election. He also previously led the country from 1985 to 1990. At the time, US President Joe Biden released a statement denouncing Ortega for holding a “pantomime election that was neither free nor fair, and most certainly not democratic,” hitting out at the arrest of around 40 opposition figures since May.
It is thought that Ortega may have taken the decision to sever ties with Taiwan due to its growing proximity to Western countries and their allies, many of whom have imposed sanctions on the Ortega regime over alleged human rights abuses and democratic backsliding. In fact, in recent months, Ortega has sought the support of countries like China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran, who together form part of a larger rival bloc in global affairs.