Nicaragua on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan at a time when other countries in the region have shifted their allegiance to China under strong pressure from Beijing.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has publicly stated that his country would maintain relations with Taiwan, and that there was no need for speculation on ties between Nicaragua and Taiwan, Nicaraguan Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Valdrack Jaentschke told Taiwanese reporters after a seminar held in Washington by US-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue.
Asked about the status of Nicaragua’s ties with Taiwan, Jaentschke said that they were strong.
Asked if Nicaragua has come under pressure from Beijing to break ties with Taiwan or from Washington to keep relations, Jaentschke said Nicaragua is committed to establishing peace, security and tranquility.
“President Ortega has said and a number of [legislators] have said that we will continue our relationship with Taiwan. That was said publicly this week,” Jaentschke said.
“So I don’t see why we need to put that in doubt,” he added. “That is our formal and official position.”
Following his election as president in 1984, Ortega broke relations with Taiwan to recognize China in 1985, but after he lost his bid for re-election in 1990, the new government resumed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Although he returned to power in 2007, Ortega has maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Amid increased pressure from China, Taiwan has lost five diplomatic allies to China since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May 2016: Panama in June last year, Sao Tome and Principe in December last year, the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso in May, and El Salvador last month, leaving Taiwan with 17 allies.
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