The Republic of China (Taiwan) expressed strong disappointment regarding the signing of a joint communique Dec. 26 in Beijing by São Tomé and Príncipe and mainland China on the re-establishment of diplomatic ties.
In a statement released the same day, the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it regretted that São Tomé and Príncipe had been lured by mainland China’s dollar diplomacy campaign and in the process ignored years of major contributions by the ROC in improving the health and welfare of the people of the West African country.
Taking advantage of the massive financial difficulties faced by São Tomé and Príncipe, and through manipulation of the “one China principle” and dollar diplomacy, mainland China demanded that the African nation sever ties with the ROC as a precondition for full support and assistance for its economic and social needs, the MOFA said.
“The fact that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign nation cannot be denied by the so-called ‘one China principle’ mentioned in the said communique,” the ministry added.
According to the MOFA, as a responsible and reliable partner of the international community, the ROC will continue to strengthen and deepen cooperative and friendly relations with its diplomatic partners.
After the two countries established diplomatic relations in May 1997, the ROC assisted São Tomé and Príncipe in advancing its national development, with bilateral cooperation covering such fields as agriculture, education, energy, infrastructure and public health.
In particular, the malaria prevention program implemented by ROC medical advisers stationed in São Tomé and Príncipe successfully reduced the incidence rate of the disease from 50 percent in 2003 to 1.01 percent in 2015. The World Health Organization announced in 2013 that the West African country had reached the pre-elimination stage for malaria, a widely recognized achievement.
To uphold national dignity, the MOFA announced the termination of diplomatic ties with São Tomé and Príncipe Dec. 21 after the West African nation unilaterally ended relations earlier the same day. The Office of the President and Mainland Affairs Council also issued statements expressing strong regret and discontent concerning the matter. (SFC-E)
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