Taiwan’s former diplomatic offices and embassy in Nicaragua have been taken over by the local government which now only recognizes China’s authority.
In China’s favor: The Nicaraguan government, which recently announced that it is cutting ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing, said the Chinese government officially owned the properties, Associated Press reported.
- Taiwanese diplomats had initially planned to donate them to the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Managua.
- The archdiocese’s vicar, Msgr. Carlos Avilés, reportedly said he told one of the Taiwanese diplomats that “there was no problem, but the transfer was still in the legal process.”
- In a statement, however, Nicaragua’s Attorney General’s Office claimed this planned donation to be a “maneuver and subterfuge to take what doesn’t belong to them.”
- The Foreign Relations Ministry of Taiwan slammed Ortega’s government for “gravely illegal actions,” alleging that it “had violated standard procedures by giving Taiwanese diplomats just two weeks to get out of the country.”
- Taiwan also reportedly “condemns the arbitrary obstruction by the Nicaraguan government of the symbolic sale of its property to the Nicaraguan Catholic church.”
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Allies no more: Nicaragua officially ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan earlier this month in favor of China, reported BBC.
- According to Euronews, the Nicaraguan government announced in a statement that it is officially recognizing Taiwan as part of Chinese territory, saying, “There is only one China. The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all China.”
- Up until the recent announcement, Nicaragua and Taiwan have had diplomatic relations since the 1990s.
- Nicaragua’s decision has reduced Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to 14 governments.
Featured Image via CGTN
