What’s new: China and Nauru officially resumed diplomatic relations Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said, after the Pacific island nation severed ties with Taiwan.
In Beijing on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the two countries signed a joint communique marking the resumption of relations, in which they agreed to exchange ambassadors “as soon as possible” and provide support for the establishment of embassies in each other’s capitals, according to the communique, which was released by China’s foreign ministry.
The document also noted the official end of “diplomatic relations” between Nauru and Taiwan, with the Nauru government promising to no longer cultivate official relations or engage in official exchanges with Taiwan. It also recognized “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”
The background: Nauru announced on Jan. 15 that it was cutting ties with Taiwan and seeking to reestablish full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The announcement came several days after the latest leadership election in Taiwan.
The island nation northeast of Australia with a population of around 10,000 has switched its diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei several times, establishing relations with Taipei in 1980, changing to Beijing in 2002 and back to Taipei in 2005.
Nauru now becomes one of 183 countries that have established diplomatic relations with Beijing, leaving Taiwan with 12 diplomatic allies globally — most of them located in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific, as well as the Vatican in Europe.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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