Nicaraguan president-elect Daniel Ortega on Tuesday promised to continue diplomatic relations with Taiwan, amid speculation that the Central American ally might switch allegiance to China.
"After the change of government [late yesterday], I hope to continue all kinds of relationships with the people and government of Taiwan," Ortega said.
"I'd like to reiterate my warm welcome to all the officials and businesspeople of the Republic of China, Taiwan, at a time when we have committed ourselves to fighting poverty," he said.
PHOTO: CNA
Ortega made the remarks on Tuesday evening while meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen arrived in the Nicaraguan capital on Tuesday afternoon. He was to attend the inauguration of Ortega late yesterday and was greeted with military honors at the airport.
Ortega had said before the election that if he won, he would switch recognition from Taiwan to China to meet the needs of the Nicaraguan business sector.
Nicaragua recognized Beijing in 1985 after Ortega's first election. However, former president Violeta Chamorro broke with Beijing and re-established ties with Taiwan after defeating Ortega in 1990.
Chen met Ortega and Nicaraguan vice president-elect Jaime Morales Carazo in the evening before having dinner with Taiwanese expatriates, embassy personnel and agricultural mission members.
Ortega yesterday told Chen that his new government would continue diplomatic relations with Taiwan, while developing exchanges with China. While Oretega has invited China to establish trade offices in his country, Beijing has not yet responded.
When asked by the Taipei Times during Tuesday night's press conference whether Taiwan could accept Nicaragua's recognition of Taiwan and China at the same time, Chen said that his government has never opposed such a situation.
However, such a scenario would not be an issue, Chen said, because what the Nicaraguan government wants is to maintain economic ties with Beijing rather than diplomatic.
"The crux of the problem lies in China's unwillingness, rather than Taiwan's," he said.
Regarding Taiwan-US relations, Chen said that he realized the US government needs China's help in tackling problems in Iran, Iraq and North Korea, but he did not want to see cooperation between Washington and Beijing sacrifice Taiwan's interests.
Chen said that his administration values the hard-earned mutual trust and long-term friendship between the two countries.
The president also thanked the US government for giving him a "comfortable, convenient, safe and dignified" transit stay in San Francisco, emphasizing that such a foundation of mutual trust should not be easily impaired.
Chen said that he would keep the promises he made to the US government and US President George W. Bush.
Meanwhile, Chen said that he was following the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to personally attend the inauguration with the aim of consolidating ties with Nicaragua.
During his meeting with Morales, Chen said that the vice president told him that they plan to relocate the presidential office and turn the old one into the "Home of Taiwan" dedicated to the care of the underprivileged.
also see stories:
AIT chairman poised for New Year visit
Taiwan's Congress friends plan early push
No rest for president during US stop
DPP decries Chiang relative's criticism during Chen's visit
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan has signed six arms procurement offers from the US totaling more than NT$208 billion (US$6.59 billion) covering long-range precision strike systems, missile stockpile replenishment and joint production of large-caliber ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan as opposition lawmakers question the amount and procurement items, while the Presidential Office and defense ministry say that the full amount is necessary to safeguard Taiwan. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday briefed the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the defense budget for
RSS