The South Pacific nation of Nauru announced on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and would instead recognise China, marking Taipei’s first diplomatic ally to switch to Beijing following the presidential election.
President David Adeang announced the decision in a national address posted to an official Facebook page, explaining “the Nauru government’s decision to recognise the People’s Republic of China”. The Nauru government said that “in the best interests” of the country and its people it was seeking full resumption of diplomatic relations with China.
“The Government of the Republic of Nauru today announces that, in the best interests of the Republic and people of Nauru, we will be moving to the One-China Principle that is in line with UN Resolution 2758 which recognises the PRC as the sole legal Government representing the whole of China and seeking resumption of full diplomatic relations with the PRC,” the statement read.
“This means that the Republic of Nauru will no longer recognise the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a separate country but rather as an inalienable part of China’s territory, and will sever ‘diplomatic relations’ with Taiwan as of this day and no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan,” it said in a statement.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it would be holding a news conference shortly. China claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes.
Lai Ching-te from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential election on Saturday as expected and will take office on May 20. Before the election China called Lai a dangerous separatist. Nauru’s move leaves Taiwan with only 12 diplomatic allies, including Guatemala, Paraguay, Eswatini, Palau and the Marshal Islands.
(With agency inputs)
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