China and Nauru reestablished diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level on Wednesday, after the Pacific island nation decided to sever “diplomatic ties” with the Taiwan authorities.
“The Government of the Republic of Nauru recognizes that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” read the Joint Communiqué on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations Between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Nauru.
The communiqué was signed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Lionel Rouwen Aingimea, minister for foreign affairs and trade of Nauru.
The two governments agree to develop friendly relations on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, read the communiqué.
New chapter for China-Nauru ties
“It was time for us to come into this relationship,” Aingimea told CGTN about Nauru’s decision to resume diplomatic ties with Beijing. He expects the two countries to cooperate in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to Nauru’s development.
Nauru, a tiny nonarable land area of 21 square kilometers with a population of more than 12,000 people, relies heavily on fuel imports. Until late last year, oil tankers couldn’t dock in Nauru, requiring barges to assist in unloading imported fuel.
In 2019, the China Harbour Engineering Company commenced upgrades at the Aiwo Port Terminal, the country’s largest port, to allow larger ships to dock. In September 2023, the port’s newly added gas pipeline started to operate, reducing Nauru’s time and energy costs.
The total trade volume between China and Nauru reached over $5.9 million in 2023, according to the General Administration of Customs of China.
“We will not set restrictions for fields of our cooperation, and the fields will be determined through talks between the two sides,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said last week in response to queries about Nauru’s decision to reestablish diplomatic ties with China.
The spokesperson emphasized that the two countries will engage in cooperation in various fields based on equality, mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation, openness and inclusiveness.
One-China principle, the global trend
The decision by Nauru to break “diplomatic ties” with the Taiwan region reduces the number of countries that diplomatically recognize Taiwan to 12.
Nauru’s diplomatic realignment underscores the current attenuation in Taiwan’s “diplomatic” status and the widespread recognition of the one-China principle, Imran Khalid, a freelance columnist on international affairs, wrote in a commentary for CGTN.
So far, over 100 countries and international organizations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the League of Arab States and the African Union, have openly reiterated their commitment to the one-China principle, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), recently wrote on social network X reaffirming that the work of UNGA will adhere to the one-China principle guided by UNGA Resolution 2758.
“The Nauru government’s decision of reestablishing diplomatic ties with China once again shows that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.