The ROC (Taiwan) government has terminated diplomatic relations with Nauru with immediate effect in order to uphold national dignity and sovereignty, the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Jan. 15.
All bilateral cooperation projects will be ended and the staff of Taiwan’s embassy and technical mission in the Pacific island state are to be recalled, the MOFA said, demanding that Nauru close its embassy in Taipei City.
In its official statement, the PO said the government deeply regrets Nauru’s decision, induced by China, to end official ties with Taiwan, as the move benefits neither regional stability nor the peoples of Taiwan and Nauru. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded partners to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Pacific and around the world, it added.
The MOFA expressed regret at Nauru’s decision and condemned the country’s use of the erroneous interpretation of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the so-called “one China principle” as grounds for breaking ties with Taiwan and resuming relations with Beijing. According to the ministry, China has long made efforts to sway Nauruan political figures, offering economic assistance as incentive to persuade the Pacific island state to switch diplomatic recognition.
At a time when nations across the world are congratulating Taiwan on the smooth completion of its elections, the ministry called China’s actions a suppression of Taiwan that repudiates democratic values and is an open challenge to the international order.
Taiwan urges Beijing to renounce confrontation and instead pursue joint endeavors with Taiwan and other regional neighbors for the benefit of all parties, the MOFA added. (SFC-E)
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