After elections in Taiwan: Nauru breaks off relations Nearly 100,000 children need help after the earthquake in Afghanistan

Shortly after the elections in Taiwan, the East Asian island nation suffered another setback in its international recognition.

The small island of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean broke off diplomatic ties with Taipei and instead it recognized Beijing and the One China principle. Taiwan will therefore immediately stop cooperation, Taiwanese Vice Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang said in Taipei. “We demand that Nauru immediately close its embassy in Taiwan.”

Located about 5,600 kilometers southeast of Taiwan, Nauru is one of the smallest countries in the world. The small republic has only about 12,000 inhabitants. In the 1970s, Nauru was considered extremely rich thanks to its large phosphate deposits. However, in the 1990s the reserves were exhausted and the country fell into a deep crisis. Today it is one of the poorest countries in the world.

“One China principle corresponds to the trend of the times”

The Chinese government welcomed the reconsideration of Nauru. The decision shows “that the One China principle corresponds to the will of the people and the trend of the times,” the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Vice Foreign Minister Tien said China had lured politicians from the Pacific islands into a diplomatic switch by offering economic support to Beijing. Taipei also sees the maneuver as an attack on Taiwanese democracy.

A thorn in Beijing’s side

On Saturday, voters in the island republic with more than 23 million inhabitants elected Vice President William Lai (Lai Ching-te) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as future president. The party lost its absolute majority in parliament.

Lai and the Progressive Party are a thorn in Beijing’s side because they support Taiwan’s independence. The party now elects the president for the third time: a record since 1996.

China considers the island part of its territory, although it has had an independent and democratically elected government for decades. That is why tensions regularly arise in the strait between the superpower and the island, which is important for global shipping.

Citing the so-called one-China principle, Beijing demands that other states not have official exchanges with Taipei. Under Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan has lost 10 allied states since 2016, which have instead established diplomatic ties with China.

Only twelve states now recognize Taiwan

After the break with Nauru, Taiwan is now recognized as a sovereign country by twelve states, including the Vatican. Nauru had already severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in July 2002. However, in 2005, the island changed its mind again after China failed to keep its promises to support the country.

Immediately after the elections, support for Taiwan came from Washington: President Tsai Ing-wen, who is still in office, and her newly elected successor Lai received an unofficial delegation from the US on Monday. The visit shortly after the vote was of “great importance,” Tsai said in Taipei. This underlines the strong partnership between the two countries.

The delegation including two former US government officials Stephen Hadley and James Steinberg arrived in Taipei on Saturday. “We look forward to continuing the U.S.-Taiwan relationship under the new administration and working together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” said former U.S. National Security Advisor Hadley. The Chinese Communist Party protested the visit.

After speaking with the president, the two Americans also met with Lai and his number two, Hsiao Bi-khim, who previously worked as Taiwan’s envoy to the United States. Vice President Lai told guests that he would continue to rule the country on the political foundation Tsai had laid. “We hope the US will continue to support Taiwan,” the 64-year-old said.

China wants ‘reunification’, even by military means if necessary. In the Taiwan Strait, between the two states, the People’s Liberation Army has been sending fighter planes towards Taiwan almost every day for months. The situation is tense. The US has assured Taiwan that it will help in the event of a conflict.