China Highly Appreciates Nicaragua's Decision To Restore Diplomatic Ties With Beijing

China highly appreciates Nicaragua's decision to cut ties with Taiwan and make "the right choice," by restoring diplomatic relations with Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2021) China highly appreciates Nicaragua's decision to cut ties with Taiwan and make "the right choice," by restoring diplomatic relations with Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

On Thursday, the Nicaraguan government announced its decision to cut off relations with Taiwan in favor of developing ties with China. On Friday, China and Nicaragua signed the Joint Communique on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations.

"The Government of Nicaragua recognizes and commits to abide by the one-China principle, severs the so-called 'diplomatic relations' with Taiwan, resumes diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and undertakes that it shall no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan. This is the right choice that is in line with the global trend and has people's support. China highly appreciates this decision," the Chinese ministry said in a statement.

Beijing also stressed that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an indivisible part of the country. The ministry noted that the Chinese government is the only legitimate government representing the state.

"These facts are grounded in history and law, and represent a universally agreed norm governing international relations," the statement added.

The ministry also expressed its readiness to develop cooperation with Nicaragua in various fields based on the principles of peaceful coexistence and for the benefit of the countries' peoples.

Nicaragua established relations with Taiwan in 1930, when the island was part of the Japanese Empire. The Consulate of Taiwan in Managua received the status of embassy in 1967. The first time bilateral relations were broken was when Daniel Ortega came to power in Nicaragua in 1985. In the same year, he established diplomatic relations with Beijing. However, Ortega's successor Violeta Barrios de Chamorro revised the country's foreign policy, re-recognized Taiwan and cut relations with Beijing.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own democratically-elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence.