The Pacific Island nation of Nauru said Monday that it is switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, a move that reduces the dwindling number of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to 12 around the world.
China claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory and has been peeling off the island’s diplomatic allies, often with promises of development aid. It’s a long-running competition between the two that has swung in China’s favor in recent years.
A statement from the government of Nauru said it was severing ties with Taiwan and seeking a resumption of relations with China.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
China claims self-governing Taiwan as its territory and has been peeling off the island’s diplomatic allies, often with promises of development aid.
The decision to reestablish ties with China “once again shows that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang accused China of purposefully timing the news to the recent election.
The United States has diplomatic relations with China but also maintains extensive unofficial ties with Taiwan, including selling it fighter jets and other weaponry for its defense.
“While the government of Nauru’s action … to sever its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan is a sovereign decision, it is nonetheless a disappointing one,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a written statement.
Two retired U.S. officials praised Taiwan’s democratic process in meetings Monday with President Tsai Ing-wen and other leaders.
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