Dominican Republic forges diplomatic ties with China

SANTO DOMINGO: The Dominican Republic and China announced they were establishing diplomatic relations Tuesday, as the Caribbean country became the latest nation to dump Taiwan, leaving the island with just 19 diplomatic allies around the globe.

Taipei said it was "deeply upset" at the decision to sever ties, which deepens its international isolation while its giant neighbour flexes its economic and political might on the global stage.

The Dominican Republic said it believed its switch to ties with China would be "extraordinarily positive for the future of our country", in an official statement.

"The Dominican Republic recognises that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory," it added.

Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy which sees itself as a sovereign nation but has never formally declared independence from the mainland. Beijing considers it a renegade province to be brought back into the fold and is upping international



pressure to prevent any recognition of the island. 

Beijing announced Tuesday morning that it would exchange ambassadors with the Dominican Republic "as soon as practicable".

At an emergency press conference, Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said the government "deeply regrets that Dominican Republic and China established ties on May 1".

Wu said the ministry "strongly condemns China's objectionable decision to use dollar diplomacy to convert Taiwan's diplomatic allies" and accused Beijing of failing to follow through on its promises to those countries it had wooed away.

Its actions had damaged cross-strait relations and eroded trust, said Wu, who blamed China's financial incentives for ending the 77-year alliance with Dominican Republic.

The Caribbean country's ambassador in Taipei had been summoned by the foreign ministry to express Taiwan's protest and to tell him to close the embassy, Wu said.