China and Nauru formally resumed diplomatic relations on Wednesday, following the small Pacific island state's decision to cut ties with Taiwan.
A signing ceremony was held in Beijing in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries, noted an AFP journalist.
China considers Taiwan to be one of its provinces, which it has not yet managed to reunify with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. For more than 70 years, the two governments Rivals in Beijing and Taipei are competing for diplomatic recognition from other states.
In the name of the “ One China
” principle
, Beijing does not allow foreign countries to maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei in parallel.
The microstate of Nauru announced on January 15 to sever its diplomatic ties with Taiwan for the benefit of China.
Nauru first switched to Beijing in 2002 after 22 years of relations with Taiwan, before siding again with Taipei in 2005.
“New chapter”
“
China and Nauru are geographically distant and separated by vast oceans, but the friendship between the two peoples has a long history
,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told his Nauruan counterpart Lionel Aingimea on Wednesday.
“
We look forward to this new chapter in relations between Nauru and China.
They will rely on strength and a development strategy
,” assured the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nauru.
The meeting took place in Beijing at the Diaoyutai diplomatic complex, in a room with a bay window overlooking a small lake.
The formal reestablishment of diplomatic ties between China and Nauru comes as two US lawmakers are in Taiwan to “
reaffirm US support
” for the island, following the recent presidential election won by Lai Ching-te.
In recent years, Beijing has notably wrested from Taipei several Latin American allies such as the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Among the 12 states that still have diplomatic relations with Taiwan are the Vatican, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Paraguay, Pacific island nations and Haiti.
Nauru, with 12,500 inhabitants, is one of the smallest countries in the world.
It is located approximately 4000 kilometers northeast of Sydney, Australia.