Nicaragua’s sudden diplomatic switch from Taiwan to China was part of efforts by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government to protect itself from recent international sanctions against Managua, a senior US administration official said on Friday.
China and Nicaragua on Friday re-established diplomatic ties after the Central American country broke relations with Taiwan, boosting Beijing in a part of the world long considered the US’ backyard, and angering Washington.
Nicaragua’s abrupt break with Taiwan followed months of worsening ties between Ortega and US President Joe Biden’s administration.
Photo: AP
Washington has imposed new targeted sanctions on Nicaraguan officials following the country’s elections last month.
Biden called the elections a “pantomime” that was neither free nor fair as Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla and Cold War adversary of the US, won a fourth consecutive term.
The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Nicaragua’s embrace of China was part of Ortega’s effort to consolidate his “authoritarian regime,” describing it as a response to sanctions by Washington and several other countries.
Washington viewed Nicaragua’s diplomatic switch as partly in response to such pressure from the international community, the official said.
“They have felt that pressure and perhaps need the PRC [People’s Republic of China] support, or think they need the PRC support, for their way forward as they hunker down in a more authoritarian posture,” the official said.
Nicaragua’s switch was a very “specific” case, the official said, adding that the US does not believe other such moves are imminent in the hemisphere.
US Department of State spokesman Ned Price late on Thursday said that Ortega does not have a democratic mandate to break ties with Taiwan as he only wields power due to the “sham” Nov. 7 presidential elections.
Ortega’s government arrested seven presidential candidates ahead of the poll.
After Nicaragua’s move, the top adviser to Paraguay’s president said that the South American country remains resolute about maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
“It is a decision of the Nicaraguan government. We respect it, but Paraguay remains firm in its position to continue diplomatic relations with Taiwan,” Federico Gonzalez, adviser to Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez, said in a statement.
“For Paraguay this doesn’t change anything. Our position remains the same,” Gonzalez said.
Paraguay is now the only South American nation that maintains ties with Taiwan, a relationship that has been going on for more than six decades.
Taiwan finances various infrastructure projects and agricultural support projects in the country, and donated medical supplies at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CALL FOR PEACE: Czech President Petr Pavel raised concerns about China’s military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait and its ‘unfriendly action’ in the South China Sea The leaders of three diplomatic allies — Guatemala, Paraguay and Palau — on Tuesday voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN on the first day of the UN General Debate in New York. In his address during the 78th UN General Assembly, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr urged the UN and all parties involved in cross-strait issues to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful resolution. “The well-being and prosperity of nations and their economies are intrinsically linked to global peace and stability,” he said. He also thanked partner nations such as Taiwan, Australia, Japan and the US for providing assistance
CROSS-STRAIT CONCERNS: At the same US Congress hearing, Mira Resnick said a US government shutdown could affect weapons sales and licenses to allies such as Taiwan A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be a “monster risk” for Beijing and likely to fail, while a military invasion would be extremely difficult, senior Pentagon officials told the US Congress on Tuesday. Growing worries of a conflict come as China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, holding large-scale war games simulating a blockade on the nation, while conducting near-daily warplane incursions and sending Chinese vessels around its waters. US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said a blockade would be “a monster risk for the PRC [People’s Republic of China].” “It would likely not succeed, and it
AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISES: The defense ministry said that it had detected 24 Chinese PLA Air Force planes entering Taiwan’s air defense zone over the previous 24 hours Chinese movements around Taiwan were “abnormal,” Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday, flagging recent amphibious exercises in addition to drills Taipei has observed in China’s Fujian Province. Taiwan has reported a rise in Chinese military activity over the past week as dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships, have operated around the nation. “Our initial analysis is that they are doing joint drills in September, including land, sea, air and amphibious,” Chiu told reporters at the legislature in Taipei. The “recent enemy situation is quite abnormal,” he said. The comments followed a statement from the
IN MOURNING: Tsai visited the site and spoke with family members of those killed, while all the major presidential candidates said they would temporarily halt campaigning A fire and subsequent explosions at a golf ball factory at Pingtung Technology Industrial Park (屏東科技產業園區) killed at least seven people, including four firefighters, and injured 98, while three were still missing, authorities said yesterday. The blaze at Launch Technologies Co’s (明揚國際) plant on Jingjian Road raged for more than 12 hours after it started at about 5pm on Friday, officials said. The Pingtung County Fire Bureau early yesterday used large excavators to search for missing people, while family members waited at the scene. Pingtung County Fire Bureau Director Hsu Mei-hsueh (許美雪) said the bureau received a call about the fire at 5:31pm
RSS