Nicaragua switches diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China
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On Thursday, Nicaragua switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, leaving only 14 countries to recognize the island which Beijing considers as part of its mainland.
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Taiwan now has only 14 diplomatic allies.
Nicaragua switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China on Friday, in a major coup for Beijing.
Taiwan now has only 14 diplomatic allies, but the declaration comes as Taipei builds ties with a number of unofficial Western allies, including the United States.
Three Latin American countries in recent years have declared that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territories: Panama, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.
Nicaragua's government, led by Daniel Ortega, said on Thursday that it would follow suit.
"The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory," Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said.
Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo, Ortega's son, led a team of Nicaraguan officials who signed a joint communiqué establishing ties in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Friday.
"This is a correct choice that conforms to broader trends and people's aspirations. China highly commends this," Beijing's foreign ministry said.
