Taiwan vows retaliation after Nigeria shuts down trade office
Move is latest diplomatic snub amid mounting pressure on island’s allies
Taiwan has taken another blow from the Chinese mainland, with the island’s trade office in Nigeria forced to shut down due to pressure from Beijing.
An angry Taiwan vowed to retaliate on Sunday by asking Nigeria’s trade office on the island to move out of the capital, Taipei.
“We will take a reciprocal measure by asking Nigeria to do the same after the completion of relocation of our office [in Lagos],” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said, adding that it had lodged a strong protest and expressed deep regret to the Nigerian government over the issue.
In January, Nigeria ordered that Taiwan move its trade office out of Abuja and open a smaller one with a skeleton staff in Lagos. The order came after a visit by top Beijing envoy Wang Yi, who asked that Nigeria abide by the one-China policy.
On Friday, the African nation sent 25 armed police officers to shut down the trade office in Abuja in a bid to force it to relocate to Lagos.
Abuja has maintained diplomatic relations with Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province. In late March, Nigeria demanded the island’s representative leave the country, saying it could not guarantee his safety.