Taiwan loses another diplomatic partner as Nicaragua recognizes China

Nicaragua on Thursday severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established official relations with Beijing, leaving Taipei with a dwindling number of partners as China ramps up pressure on countries to drop recognition of the island.

Nicaragua’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it would not have any official contact or relationship with Taiwan, declaring that “there is only one China in the world” and describing Taiwan as an “inalienable part of Chinese territory.”

© Taiwan Presidential Office Handout/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a meeting with a Baltic states delegation in Taipei on Nov. 29.Beijing claims that Taiwan, a self-governed democracy, is part of China and has pledged to unite the island with China by force if necessary. For years, Beijing has competed for Taiwan’s remaining handful of diplomatic allies, while also threatening countries, companies and organizations that treat Taiwan as a state.

Following Nicaragua’s announcement, Taiwan is left with little more than a dozen diplomatic partners.

“Another brilliant victory,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian posted on the microblog Weibo. China’s representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said his country “highly commended” the decision.

Chinese state media said representatives from the Chinese and Nicaraguan government would meet for talks in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Friday.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Friday in Asia, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the development.

“It’s with great regret we end diplomatic ties with Nicaragua,” it said, adding that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega had “disregarded” a “long-standing friendship” and cooperation.

“Taiwan remains unbowed [and] will continue as a force for good in the world,” it said.