Nicaragua on Thursday broke its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan, switching allegiance to Beijing in a recognition of the Chinese Communist party's One China policy and reducing Taipei's dwindling pool of international allies.
"The government of the Republic of Nicaragua today breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any contact or official relationship," the foreign ministry said in a statement issued in Spanish and English.
Taiwan responded quickly, expressing "pain and regret" at the decision, and saying that the Central American country's president, Daniel Ortega, had disregarded the friendship between the peoples of Taiwan and Nicaragua."As a member of the international community, Taiwan has the right to exchange and develop diplomatic relations with other countries," its foreign ministry said.
China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state, and has stepped up pressure to win away Taiwan's remaining allies, especially in Central America and the Caribbean, with El Salvador and the Dominican Republic going over to Beijing in 2018, and Panama the year before."We highly commend the right decision made by the Government of Nicaragua, which is in line with the prevailing trend of the time and people's aspiration," he said in a tweet.
One Taiwan-based diplomatic source, familiar with the region, said the move was not a surprise given Washington's lack of leverage with Ortega due to the sanctions, and that looking to China for aid and support was a natural course of action.
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