Foreign affairs minister Joseph Wu says that Taiwan did everything in its power to try to maintain diplomatic relations with Nicaragua. Wu spoke on Tuesday, addressing Nicaragua's decision to cut ties with Taiwan last Friday.
Wu says that Nicaragua may have felt political pressure to side with Russia and China, after other powerful nations turned their backs on Nicaragua. The US, Canada, and the UK all imposed sanctions on Nicaragua after its presidential election in November, as leaders of those nations claimed the election was a sham.
Wu says that tensions are running high in the international community between proponents of democracy like the US and Japan, and authoritarian leaders in countries like China. The US recently hosted the Summit for Democracy, which China was not invited to. Wu says it was a significant move that Nicaragua ended relations with Taiwan on the first day of the summit.
Wu says that it's very unfortunate that Taiwan lost Nicaragua as a diplomatic ally, despite its best efforts. Taiwan is now only formally recognized by 14 nations, and Wu says that Taiwan's diplomats are working tirelessly to maintain good relationships with these other countries.
Taiwan was invited to the Summit for Democracy, and Wu says Taiwan should be proud of its representation. He also says that the struggle between democratic and authoritarian governments will continue to grow, and Taiwan needs to stay strong.