The Nicaraguan government on Friday said that it has granted citizenship to a former Taiwanese envoy to the country, one day after it announced the termination of diplomatic relations with Taipei.
Former ambassador to Nicaragua Jaime Wu (吳進木) and his wife, Liu Chun-chiao (劉春嬌), have been granted Nicaraguan citizenship to honor Wu’s 14 years of service in the country and his contributions to enhancing social, economic, technological, educational and cultural development, Nicaragua news agencies quoted a Nicaraguan Ministry of the Interior official as saying.
Wu served two terms as ambassador to Nicaragua — from 2007 to 2011 and from 2017 to this year. He retired last month.
Photo from the Nicaraguan embassy Web site
During his second term, Taiwan became one of Nicaragua’s main commercial partners, the agencies said.
Before his retirement, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted Wu the Jose de Marcoleta Order in the Degree of Grand Cross, the highest distinction the country gives to foreign diplomats.
The reports did not say whether Wu and his wife had accepted the citizenship.
The offer came one day after Nicaragua announced that it has switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
The country last month re-elected Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to a fourth consecutive term in office. The election was widely seen as not free and fair.
The termination of diplomatic relations between Taipei and Managua leaves Taiwan with 14 diplomatic allies.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that as Wu is officially retired from the diplomatic service, it has no comment on his personal life or family matters.
However, the ministry said that Wu, as a high level diplomat who had access to confidential information, is bound by the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), which prevents former public servants from disclosing confidential information to any third party.
Wu’s retirement request was granted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sept. 28, and he officially left his post on Nov. 17, it said.
Wu was replaced by Ambassador to Nicaragua Ivan Lee (李岳融).
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