Posted on 07/21/2002 1:00:22 PM PDT by Lake
Nauru drops diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China
Sun Jul 21, 5:02 AM ET
By VERNA YU, Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG - China established diplomatic relations with the tiny Pacific island of Nauru on Sunday, scoring another victory in its campaign to isolate Taiwan.
The joint communique was signed at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Hong Kong by Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong and Rene Harris, president of the Republic of Nauru.
Neither officials spoke to reporters after the signing ceremony, but a Foreign Ministry press statement said Nauru — the world's smallest independent republic — has severed its diplomatic relations with Taiwan, an island China regards as a part of its territory.
China demands that any country that wants to establish diplomatic ties with it must first cut all formal links with Taiwan, which split from China amid civil war over 50 years ago.
Sunday's statement said Nauru accepts China's view that "the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China" and that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory."
China said it supports Nauru's efforts "to safeguard its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and develop its national economy."
In Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Chang Siao-yu said Sunday Nauru's Cabinet has not endorsed its president's agreement to recognize Beijing and was holding a meeting on Sunday hoping to persuade Harris to back off from his decision.
Chang said China offered Nauru a grant of U.S. dlrs 60 million and promised to help resolve the island nation's U.S. dlrs 77 million debt with an American company. Taiwan decided not to engage in the race to buy ties with money, she added.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Hong Kong, Jiang Yu, said the ceremony was held there "because both sides consider Hong Kong a more convenient venue."
Nauru became the 165th country to set up diplomatic relations with China.
Both Taiwan and China have offered small countries grants and aid in their fight for diplomatic allies, but Taiwan now has official ties with only 27 nations.
 China's Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong, right, and Rene Harris, left, president of the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru exchange agreements after signing a joint communique establishing diplomatic relations in Hong Kong Sunday, July 21, 2002. This was the first time that China has signed a diplomatic establishment agreement in Hong Kong since it regained sovereignty over this former British colony five years ago. Others are unidentified. (AP Photo/Lo Sai Hung) |
| Sun Jul 21, 2:45 AM ET |
The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Nauru, in conformity with the interests and common desires of the two peoples, have decided uponmutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level as from 21 July 2002.
The two Governments agree to develop friendly relations betweenthe two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respectfor sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
The Government of the People's Republic of China supports the efforts made by the Government of the Republic of Nauru to safeguard its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and develop its national economy.
The Government of the Republic of Nauru recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People'sRepublic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Government of the Republic of Nauru has decided to sever its "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of 21 July 2002, abrogate all "inter-state", "inter-governmental" and other official agreements signed with Taiwan and ensure mutual close-down of "embassies" or "consulates" and other official agencies and withdrawal of "embassy" or "consular" and other official staffwithin a month. The Government of the Republic of Nauru pledges that after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Nauru and the People's Republic of China, the Republicof Nauru shall not have official relations of any form with Taiwan.
The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Nauru have agreed to provide each other with all the necessary assistance for the establishment and performance of the functions of diplomatic missions in their respective capitals in accordance with provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and international practice and on a reciprocal basis.
Do we really want to be dependent on the Middle East for our oil? Do we really want to depend on those Chicom-snugglers in Nauru for our petrified bird poop? I think not - tell your congressman to open ANWR and allow the mining of Navassa...
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