Shannon Brandao
Shannon's excerpt from the article: "Al Jazeera [excerpt]: Beijing has expressed anger at the United States after it decried Nauru’s decision to ditch #Taiwan and switch its allegiance to Beijing.
Tiny Nauru, located in the #SouthPacific, broke ties with Taipei after independence-leaning candidate Lai Ching-te, reviled by Beijing, won Saturday’s Taiwanese presidential #election. On Tuesday, a US official suggested that the move was a mistake.
'While the government of Nauru’s action is a sovereign decision, it is nonetheless a disappointing one,' said Laura Rosenberger, chair of the Virginia-based American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). 'The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimately remain unfulfilled.'
Beijing, which claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory, immediately hit back. Washington 'is doing its utmost to smear and slander #China’s diplomatic efforts, and putting in a word for Taiwan to expand its space on the international stage', said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning in a news conference.
'The United States is blatantly making irresponsible remarks about a decision made independently by a sovereign state,' she said.
'This seriously violates the one China principle … seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, and seriously violates basic norms of international relations,' she added.
'China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes this.'
...President David Adeang announced the decision in a national address posted to an official Facebook page, explaining 'the Nauru government’s decision to recognise the People’s Republic of China'.
The Nauru government said 'in the best interests' of the country and its people, it was seeking full resumption of diplomatic relations with China.
It added that it would 'sever diplomatic relations' with Taiwan immediately, and 'no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges' with it.
'This change is in no way intended to affect our existing warm relationships with other countries,' the Nauru government statement said.
'Nauru remains a sovereign and independent nation and wants to maintain friendly relations with other countries.'
...China welcomes decision
Nauru’s move comes just two days after Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary election. William Lai Ching-te from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the election held on Saturday as expected and will take office on May 20.
Before the election, China claimed Lai was a dangerous separatist.
China appreciates and welcomes the Nauru government’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday. Beijing is willing to open a new chapter in bilateral relations with Nauru on the basis of its one China policy, it said."
#news #geopolitics