Nicaraguan President Ortega gave the Taiwanese Embassy a two-week notice and kicked them out of the country claiming Taiwan was just a part of China and therefore did not need its own embassy. But it was a move out of desperation for Nicaragua.
“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.
“The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory,” it added.
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.
But Taiwan’s government also expressed defiance.
“As a member of the international community, Taiwan has the right to exchange and develop diplomatic relations with other countries,” its foreign ministry said.
Taiwan will continue to promote “pragmatic diplomacy” to expand its international space, and strive to achieve Taiwan’s “due international status.”
“China’s ambassador at the United Nations, Zhang Jun, congratulated Nicaragua.
“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. “The One-China principle is a consensus widely accepted by the international community and allows no challenge.”
“Now, Taiwan has 14 formal diplomatic allies remaining.
China has been poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies over the past few years, reducing the number of countries that recognize the democratic island as a sovereign nation. China is against Taiwan representing itself in global forums or in diplomacy. The Solomon Islands chose to recognize China in 2019, cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Taiwan depicts itself as a defender of democracy, while Ortega was reelected in November in what the White House called a “pantomime election.”
“The arbitrary imprisonment of nearly 40 opposition figures since May, including seven potential presidential candidates, and the blocking of political parties from participation rigged the outcome well before election day,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement in November.”
We had put sanctions on Nicaragua and they were likely doing this just to get into China’s good graces for trade.