Once again there is a Chinese Embassy in Nicaragua as both countries waste no time in getting down to business following the Nicaraguan government’s recent declaration that; “There is only one single China, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).
Less than a month after the Nicaraguan government cut ties with Taiwan (Republic of China – ROC) China has opened an embassy in Nicaragua for the first time since 1990.
Although the old, vacated Taiwanese Embassy has been handed over to the authorities of the Peoples Republic of China, that location is not the new Chinese Embassy in Nicaragua which is located elsewhere in a residential area in the southeast of Managua.
On/Off Relationship
It was in 1985; several years after the revolution of 1979 that Nicaragua first switched ties from Taipei, Taiwan to Beijing, China. However, this was reversed by Violeta Chamorro in 1991 after she became President of Nicaragua following the 1990 election.
Since Daniel Ortega’s election in 2006, diplomatic relations with Taiwan had continued. However, on December 9th 2021, in a move that took many by surprise, the Nicaraguan government announced it had cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China.
See previous Nica-Biz article here, containing the formal announcement from Nicaragua’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
All Deals Cancelled
Just days after the announcement, the National Assembly approved the cancellation of all agreements signed between Nicaragua and Taiwan.
Nicaragua has had trade relations with Taiwan since the 1960’s with the first bilateral trade agreement signed in 1967. The latest agreement being the Free Trade Agreement had been in effect since 2006.
The cancellation or repeal order includes any agreement, treaty, convention or instrument signed between the Republic of Nicaragua and Taiwan before December the 9th 2021.
China/Taiwan Relations
The declaration by Nicaragua in favor of mainland China has gone down as a political win for China in their effort to isolate Taiwan and bring them back under their wing.
Although Taiwan (ROC) has been self-governed since 1949, Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory under its “One China” policy. China has always viewed the island of Taiwan as part of its territory and maintains they will, one day, “unify” Taiwan with the mainland. The current Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party favors independence.
