Taiwan losing out in ‘diplomatic war’ with Beijing as Sao Tome severs ties with island
Island insists it won’t engage in ‘dollar diplomacy’ after losing West African nation as formal ally
A small west African nation has announced it will end diplomatic ties with Taiwan, in the latest sign of the diplomatic war between Beijing and Taipei heating up after US president-elect Donald Trump questioned Washington’s stance towards the one-China policy.
Sao Tome and Principe – a former Portuguese colony with a population of 200,000 – said on Wednesday it would sever formal diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it “appreciated” the decision and “welcomed Sao Tome and Principe back onto the correct path of the one-China principle”.
Beijing did not specify if it would immediately set up formal diplomatic ties with Sao Tome, however.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen accused Beijing of squeezing Taiwan’s international space.
“[Beijing’s] diplomatic suppression is not aimed at a particular party, but all Taiwanese as a whole. Such conduct will not help the long-term development of cross-strait relations. Deliberately ignoring and dwarfing Taiwan in the international arena will only make Taiwanese feel humiliated and infuriated,” Tsai said on her Facebook account.