‘Only a matter of time’ before Taiwan has no allies, Chinese vice foreign minister says

Name: Taiwan holds urban, aerial combat drills amid threats of invasion by mainland China
Uploaded: 2022-01-18T10:00:21.000Z
Duration: 2 min 19 s
Description: Taiwan holds urban, aerial combat drills amid threats of invasion by mainland China

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China officially reopens its embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, on December 31. Photo: Xinhua

Amber Wang

Published: 6:00pm, 18 Jan 2022Updated: 6:24pm, 18 Jan 2022

Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng said it was “a matter of time” before Taiwan lost all of its diplomatic allies, following Nicaragua’s switch in recognition to Beijing in December.

Taiwan’s list of international allies has dwindled from 22 to 14 since President Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party took office in May 2016.

In addition to Nicaragua, the Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and the Solomon Islands have severed ties with Taiwan since 2019.

“It is a matter of time before Taiwan’s diplomatic allies will be zero,” Le said, adding that Nicaragua represented “the general trend” and “international justice”.

Le made his assessment at the Macro Situation Annual Forum hosted by Renmin University in Beijing on Tuesday.

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Taiwan holds urban, aerial combat drills amid threats of invasion by mainland China

Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province to be brought back into its fold, by force if necessary.