Nauru Cuts Taiwan Ties, Aligns With Beijing

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Facts

  • Nauru, a Pacific Island nation in Micronesia, cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan on Monday and aligned with Beijing only days after Taiwan's presidential election. According to some observers, the move was not a surprise.1
  • Nauru stated it was reestablishing diplomatic ties with China, moving away from Taiwan, and no longer considering Taiwan 'as a separate country' but 'rather as an inalienable part of China's territory.' Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tien Chung-kwang, accused Beijing of influencing Nauru and demanded the immediate closing of Nauru's embassy in Taiwan.2
  • Nauru's government said in an official statement that the decision to abandon Taipei in favor of Beijing was in line with United Nations Resolution 2758, which recognizes the PRC as the exclusive representative of China in the international organization.3
  • The head of the US delegation that manages informal relations with Taiwan, Laura Rosenberger, called Nauru's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan 'unfortunate' and 'disappointing.' Rosenberger added, 'The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimately remain unfulfilled.'4
  • China's Foreign Ministry welcomed Nauru's decision to open bilateral relations with Beijing under the One-China policy. The Ministry spokeswoman also responded to Washington's claims, calling them 'irresponsible.'5
  • It's not the first time Nauru has broken off diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Taiwan began diplomatic relations with Nauru in 1980, but Nauru transferred recognition to Beijing in July 2002. However, when China failed to fulfill its promises to assist the island, Nauru reestablished its relationship with Taiwan in 2005.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2South China Morning Post, 3Barrons, 4US News & World Report, 5Al Jazeera and 6Yahoo News.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Voice of America. Simply put, Beijing offered a better deal than Taipei and bought off the financially strained South Pacific nation to shift diplomatic sides once again. The move was a calculated attempt to undermine Taiwan's independence and democracy and diplomatically isolate the island. At the end of the day, Taiwan will appear stronger because Beijing's cynical attempts to lure Taiwan's diplomatic allies to its side will be perceived as bullying.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. Only a few nations have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Most countries, including the US, support the One-China Policy rather than recognizing Taiwan as an independent state. With Nauru removed from the list, Taiwan's diplomatic friends are decreasing. Given the PRC's position in the world, any sovereign state should seek improved relations with Beijing rather than caving to US-led hegemony.

Predictions