The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday protested an alleged order by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to give China assets that Taiwan had donated to the Catholic Church, saying that Beijing has no right to inherit Taiwanese state assets.
Before Taiwan’s mission left Nicaragua following their severance of diplomatic ties earlier this month, it donated its assets in the nation, including the building that housed its mission, to the Archdiocese of Managua.
However, Ortega reportedly ordered that the property be transferred into Chinese hands under threat of imprisonment for anyone who would attempt to reclaim the assets, La Prensa reported on Sunday.
Screen grab from the La Prensa Web site
Under Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Nicaragua is obligated to “respect and protect the premises of the mission, together with its property and archives,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told the Central News Agency.
Managua’s illegal decision to transfer Taiwanese assets to China is “unacceptable,” she said, protesting its obstruction of Taiwan’s donation.
The ministry also strongly condemned the imposition of a two-week withdrawal deadline in contravention of international norms.
When Managua severed ties with Taipei on Dec. 10 in favor of China, it mandated that all embassy personnel leave the country by Thursday last week.
Faced with extreme time pressure, the embassy decided to symbolically sell its building and other assets to the local Catholic diocese, completing the sale with a notarized contract on Wednesday last week, the ministry said.
The ministry also reiterated that Taiwan has never been a part of the People’s Republic of China, and as such, Beijing has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s international affairs or claim its assets.
It also called on the international community to condemn the behavior of the Nicaraguan and Chinese governments, and to help the Catholic diocese secure its rightful assets.
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